Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale

Template:Message boxSant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was the leader of Damdami Taksal, a Sikh organization based in the Punjab, India. Though never officially recognized he was also associated as the leader of an armed militant group named the Dal Khalsa. He became famous in the late 1970s as a charasmatic preacher. He went from village to village telling youths to stay away from drugs, alcohol and other vices and start to become better Sikhs. He was the leader of the Sikh group that took residence of the Golden Temple of Amritsar and fought Indian government forces in Operation Blue Star.

Sant Bhindranwale was widely believed to be a supporter of the creation of Khalistan, the proposed Sikh nation-state, but in a BBC interview he stated that if the government agreed to the creation of Khalistan, he would not refuse, what he mainly wanted was for Sikhs to be treated as equal citizens of India. Other quotes attributed to Bhindranwale include 'we are not in favor of Khalistan nor are we against it.' Responding to the creation of Khalistan he is qouted as saying, 'We won't reject it. We shall not repeat the mistake of 1947.' to which he added, 'if the Indian Government invaded the Darbar Sahib complex, the foundation for an independent Sikh state will have been laid.'

Some opposing opinions claim that he was involved in the more right-wing aspects of the Khalistani movement, and so opinions on him differ widely.

In 1978, he was involved with a violent confrontation at an event of Sikhs adhering to the Nirankari sect of Sikhism, considered to be Hindus guised as Sikhs by the majority of Sikhs. During this confrontation three Nirankaris and twelve DK members were killed. Many Nirankaris were armed with petrol bombs and assault rifles. Later on, charges were filed against some Nirankaris but all of the defendants were acquitted, fuelling further tensions and cries of injustice by the aggrieved Sikhs.

In 1981, the leader of Nirankari sect was killed and Sant Bhindranwale was implicated in ordering the death of the guru/leader of Nirankaris. But he was later released without charge by the Indian courts.

The word "guru" is offensive to Sikhs when used by people to claim they are one if they follow Sikhism. As Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sikh Holy Book) is the last and eternal guru of Sikhism.

In 1983, 22 police officers were killed in Punjab, many were targeted in retalition for killing Sikhs indiscriminately. Later in the year the central government intervened, sending the army to assist in controlling the region. Sant Bhindranwale and a group of armed followers took up residence in the Sikh religion's holiest site the Golden Temple early in 1984, fortifying it and making it the base for operations to retaliate against assaults, murders and discriminations on Sikhs by mainly Hindu Indians.

In March 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the army to surround the temple.

On the 3rd of June, a 36 hour curfew was imposed on the state of Punjab. This period coincided with the weekend of 2nd and 3rd, the anniversary of the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, who built the Golden Temple and compiled the Sikh's Holy Book. As a result, the temple was filled with worshippers.

On June 5th 1984, through a public address system, a senior civil administration member and a senior army officer asked militants to surrender. Sant Bhindranwale and the other militants refused to surrender, and on June 6, 1984, security forces assaulted the temple in what was then called Operation Blue Star. Sant Bhindranwale was killed in the engagement, along with hundreds of Indian army personnel, militants and innocent worshippers caught in the crossfire.

Nineteen years later the Akal Takht, the primary seat of Sikh religious authority declared Sant Bhindranwale a martyr of Sikhism, one of the highest honours any Sikh can receive defending the faith against enemy forces.