June 1, the day Punjab votes in the last phase of the Lok Sabha election, happens to be the anniversary of two pivotal events that have influenced the recent history and politics of the state. Both events have featured in the campaign — either as part of direct reminders to electors, or as echoes or references in speeches delivered by certain candidates.
June 1 will be the 40th anniversary of the beginning of Operation Blue Star, the Indian Army operation to flush out Khalistani militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The assault on the holiest shrine of the Sikhs triggered a chain of bloody events including the assassination of India’s Prime Minister, and unprecedented organised violence against members of the community in Delhi and other places.
Years later, on another June 1, a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib (saroop), considered the living Guru of the Sikhs, was stolen from a gurdwara in Faridkot, leading to a series of sacrilegious incidents that have had a profound impact on Punjab politics.
June 1, 1984: Op Blue Star
Despite objections from various quarters including Cabinet Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Indira Gandhi authorised the military action at the Golden Temple in mid-May, 1984. By May 29, troops from the 9th Infantry Division in Meerut had arrived in Amritsar, supported by Para commandos. Their mission was to flush out militant ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers who had set up base in the temple.
On June 1, an exchange of fire between militants and CRPF personnel who had taken up positions atop private buildings near the temple resulted in the deaths of 11 civilians. Operation Blue Star lasted until June 10, and took a heavy toll on life, property, and emotions. The Akal Takht, the temporal seat of the Sikhs, was destroyed in the operation.
Army reports listed 554 deaths, including those of four officers and 79 soldiers, but actual casualties were likely much higher, with many pilgrims among the victims. Bhindranwale was killed in the operation.
FALLOUT: Operation Blue Star cast a long shadow on the politics of Punjab and India. On October 31, 1984, Indira was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards, which led to mobs going on the rampage, killing 2,146 people in Delhi alone.
In 1985, Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, a leader of the Akali Dal, the country’s oldest regional party, was assassinated within a month of his signing a peace accord with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The “dark decade” of violence and instability in Punjab followed.
Operation Blue Star remains a potent factor in Punjab’s politics even today. Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has been showing a picture of the damaged Akal Takht at every election rally in an attempt to whip up anger against the Congress. The AAP and BJP have been reminding voters of the violence unleashed on Sikhs in the aftermath of Indira’s assassination.
Many Sikh voters, however, do not hold the current leadership of the Congress responsible. Rahul Gandhi has performed sewa at the Golden Temple on several occasions, and the Congress hopes for a good showing in the election.
June 1, 2015: Holy Book stolen
After a saroop of the Guru Granth Sahib disappeared from a gurdwara in Burj Jawahar Singh Wala, Faridkot, widespread protests broke out across Punjab. Extensive searches were carried out, including draining a large water body behind the gurdwara, but the saroop was not found.
In October 2015, torn pages from what was believed to be the stolen saroop were discovered outside the Bargari gurdwara across the road. This led to a sharp escalation of unrest, and two protesters were killed in police firing at Behbal Kalan. More than 100 incidents of sacrilege have been reported over the last few years, some of which have led to deadly lynchings of the alleged accused.
FALLOUT: The issue of sacrilege has been extremely sensitive, and has left a significant mark on the politics of the state since 2015. After two successive terms in power, the Akali Dal, which was seen as being lenient towards those responsible for the incidents, suffered a major defeat in the 2017 elections, when it could win only 15 of the 117 seats in the Assembly.
Congress Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh faced dissent and was replaced in 2021 after his party colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu accused him of not doing enough to bring the accused in the 2015 case to justice. Last December, Sukhbir Singh Badal apologised for the incidents of sacrilege during his tenure.
The issue remains sensitive, with ongoing political repercussions. In 2022, the Punjab Assembly passed a Bill that provides for life imprisonment for sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib and other religious texts.
