Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale

Infobox Person
name = Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale


image_size =
birth_date = birth date|mf=yes|1947|02|12
birth_place = Rode, Faridkot, Punjab, India
death_date = death date and age|mf=yes|1984|06|06|1947|02|12
death_place = Akal Takht Complex, Amritsar, Punjab, India
occupation = Head of Damdami Taksal
spouse = Bibi Pritam Kaur
parents =
children =Ishar Singh and Inderjit Singhcite web|title= Saint Jarnail Singh Bhindrenwale (1947 - 1984)|publisher=Sikh-history.com|last= Singh|first=Sandeep|date=|url=http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/personalities/bhindrenwale.html|accessdate=2007-03-18]

Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale ( _pa. ਜਰਨੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਭਿੰਡਰਾਂਵਾਲੇ, IPA2|ʤəɾnɛl sɪ́ŋg pɪ̀ɳɖɾɑnʋɑɺ̡e) (February 12, 1947 – June 6, 1984) was the controversial leader of the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh religious group based in India,cite web|title= Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: Five Myths |publisher="The Sikh Times"|last= Lamba|first=Puneet Singh|date=2004-06-06|url=http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_060604a.html|accessdate=2007-06-25] who supported the creation of the proposed Sikh theocratic state of Khalistan. [cite book | last=Joshi | first=Chand | title=Bhindranwale: Myth and Reality| publisher=Vikas Publishing House | location=New Delhi | year = 1985|isbn=0706926943 | pages=p129 ] He tried to spread his perceived values of Sikhism. In 1981, Bhindranwale was arrested for his suspected involvement in the murder of Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group. He surrendered to police but was later released due to lack of evidence, however, Bhindranwale was kept on close watch by Indian police officials. Bhindranwale is more notable for his involvement in Operation Blue Star in which he and his supporters, most of them radicalized Sikhs who believed in Bhindranwale's objectives, occupied the Akal Takht complex, including the Golden Temple, in Amritsar. [cite news|title= Flashbacks: Golden Temple attack|publisher=BBC News|last= Kaur|first=Naunidhi|date=2004-06-03|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3774651.stm|accessdate=2007-03-28] cite web|title=India|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/285248/India#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=India%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|date=2008|accessdate=2008-07-03] He was killed by the Indian Army, who had orders from Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to remove all armed militants inside the sacred temple. Since his death, Bhindranwale has remained a controversial figure in Indian history. Some view him as a martyr who was fighting for the best interests of Sikhs, and others see him as a militant [cite book | title = Ethnicity and Nation-building in South Asia | author = Urmila Phadnis, Rajat Ganguly | publisher = SAGE | date = 2001| page = p97] and extremist.

Early life

Bhindranwale was born in the village of Rode, in the Faridkot District of Punjab, India. His father, Joginder Singh, was a farmer and a local Sikh leader. Jarnail Singh was the seventh of eight brothers. He was brought up as a strict vegetariancite news|title= An India Today-100 People Who Shaped India|publisher="India Today"|last=Singh|first=Tavleen|date=2002-01-14|url=http://www.india-today.com/itoday/millennium/100people/jarnail.html|accessdate=2006-10-28] . In 1965, he was enrolled by his father at the Damdami Taksal, a religious school, near Moga, Punjab, then headed by Gurbachan Singh Khalsa. After a one year course in Sikh studies he returned to farming again. He continued his studies under Kartar Singh, who was the new head of the Taksal. He quickly became the favourite student of Kartar Singh. [cite book | last=Deol| first=Harnik | title=Religion and Nationalism in India: The Case of the Punjab| publisher=Routledge
location= | year =2000 |isbn=041520108X | pages=p168 ] Kartar Singh was fatally injured in a car accident and nominated Bhindranwale as his successor, in preference to his son Amrik Singh. Amrik Singh later became close associate of Bhindranwale. [cite book | last=Tully | first=Mark |authorlinks=Mark Tully| coauthors=Satish Jacob|title=Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle| publisher=Jonathan Cape | location=London | year = 1985|isbn=0-224-02328-4 | pages=p54]

He married Pritam Kaur, daughter of Sucha Singh of Bilaspur. His wife bore him two sons, Ishar and Inderjit Singh, in 1971 and 1975, respectively. Pritam Kaur died of heart ailment at age 60, on September 15, 2007 in Jalandhar. [cite news|title= Bhindranwale's widow dead|publisher="The Tribune"|last=|first=|date=2007-09-16|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070916/punjab1.htm#20|accessdate=2008-03-19]

Rise to popularity

In Punjab, Bhindranwale went from village to village as a religious missionary talking with Sikhs. He asked them to live according to the rules and tenets of Sikhismdubious. He would give long speeches and encourage numerous youths to take Amrit, the holy nectar. Bhindranwale preached to young Sikh men who had lost their path, encouraging them to return to his path of Khalsa by giving up vices like sex, drugs, addictions, etc. His focus on fighting for Sikh cause made him a hero in the eyes of young Sikhs. Because of his so far life long background as a religious man and as a preacher, his follower Sikhs would formally call him as Bhindranwale Mahapurkh or the Great Man from Bhindran which is originally Bhinder Kalan, a village in Punjab. The successor to Gurbachan Singh Khalsa, Kartar Singh Khalsa, who died in a road accident on August 16, 1977, mentioned Bhindranwale as being the new leader of the Damdami Taksal. Bhindranwale was formally elected at a bhog ceremony at Mehta Chowk on August 25, 1977.

Bhindranwale participated in some behind-the-scene political work. In 1979, Bhindranwale put up forty candidates in the SGPC elections for a total of 140 seats, he lost all seats except 4. [cite book | last=Singh |first=Khushwant | year=2005 | month= | title=A History of the Sikhs: Volume II: 1839-2004 | publisher=Oxford University Press | location=New Delhi | isbn=0195673093 | pages=p332 ] A year later, Bhindranwale campaigned actively for Congress in three constituencies' during the general elections. [Tully (1985), p177.] Due to his lack of success in election politics, he later claimed he did not personally seek any political offices. As stated in a 1984 "Time Magazine" article, Bhindranwale's popularity reached a peak that he overthrew the authority of the Shiromani Akali Dal, a Punjab-based Sikh political party. [cite journal |last=Lopez |first=Laura |year=1984 |month=June |title=India, Diamonds and the Smell of Death |journal=Time|volume= |issue=June 25, 1984 ] Bhindranwale wielded a great deal of power, and the political factions within Punjab could not commit any major action without considering Bhindranwale's reaction. [cite book | last=Robin |first=Jeffrey| year=1994 | month= |edition=2nd edition| title=What's Happening to India? | publisher=Holmes & Meier Publishing| location=New York | isbn=0841913501 | pages=pp146-147 ]

Bhindranwale was widely perceived to be a supporter for the creation of a proposed Sikhism-based theocratic state of Khalistan. However, in a BBC interview, he stated that if the government agreed to the creation of such a state, he would not refuse reflecting deliberate ambiguity. Other quotes attributed to Bhindranwale include "we are not in favour of Khalistan nor are we against it". Responding to the formation of Khalistan he is quoted as saying, "We won't reject it. We shall not repeat 1947." [Sandhu (1999), pLVI.] To which he added, "if the Indian Government invaded the Darbar Sahib complex, the foundation for an independent Sikh state will have been laid." [Sandhu (1999), pLVII.] The BBC reported that he was daring law enforcement to react to his actions of fortifying the Golden Temple in order to bolster support. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6570000/newsid_6572600/6572653.stm?bw=bb&mp=rm&news=1&bbcws=1 BBC News Player - 1984: Troops raid Golden Temple ] ]

Role in the militancy

On April 13, 1978, a few Amritdhari Sikhs of Akhand Kirtani Jatha went to protest against Nirankaris. The confrontation led to the murder of thirteen members of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha and three members of the Nirankaris. The victims were implicated. This infuriated many Sikhs further. On April 24, 1980, the leader of Nirankaris, Baba Gurbachan Singh Nirankari, was assassinated. The FIR named nearly twenty people involved in the murder, most of whom had ties to Bhindranwale.cite web|title= Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale - Life, Mission, and Martyrdom|publisher=Sikh Educational and Religious Foundation|last=Sandhu|first=Ranbir S.
date=1997-05|url=http://sikhcoalition.org/SantJarnailSingh.pdf|accessdate=2008-03-10] Bhindranwale was subsequently implicated in ordering the assassination. A member of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Ranjit Singh, surrendered to committing the assassination three years later, and was sentenced to serve thirteen years at the Tihar Jail. Bhindranwale was later released due to absence of evidence.

On September 9, 1981, Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group, was shot dead near the Amaltas Motel. Jagat Narain was a prominent opponent of Bhindranwale.He was present during the clash that occurred between Nirankaris and Akhand Kirtni Jatha Members, and stood witness at the Karnal Trial, in favour of the accused. [cite book
last = Jalandhri
first = Surjeet
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Bhindranwale Sant
publisher = Punjab Pocket Books
date = 1984
location = Jalandhar
pages = 25
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = ] Two days after the assassination, police issued warrants for the arrest of Bhidranwale. A police search in Chando Kalan, a Haryana village, failed to produce an arrest. Upon seeing this, Bhidranwale publicly announced that he would surrender on September 20. [cite web|title= Tributes to a peacemaker|publisher="The Tribune"|last=Chowla|first=K.S.
date=2003-10-18|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041018/ldh1.htm|accessdate=2007-06-25] On September 20, 1981, Bhindranwale surrendered to the police at a function held in a Gurudwara Gurdarshan Parkash. [cite book
last = Jalandhri
first = Surjeet
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Bhindranwale Sant
publisher = Punjab Pocket Books
date = 1984
location = Jalandhar
pages = 53
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = ] Over the next twenty-five days while Bhindranwale was held in custody, sporadic fights erupted in areas where Bhindranwale's accomplices had gathered. Bhindranwale was released on bail on October 15 as India's Home Minister, Giani Zail Singh announced in the Parliament that there was no evidence against Bhindrawale. [Tully (1985), p69.]

anctuary in the Golden Temple

In 1982, Bhindranwale took shelter with a large group of his armed followers, into a guest house called the Guru Nanak Niwas, in the precincts of the Golden Temple. On December 15, 1983, Bhindranwale was forced out of Guru Nanak Niwas by longowal, who then moved into the temple compound itself. He fortified the temple with light machine-gunsand sophisticated self-loading rifles were brought in. Mark Tully and Satish Jacob wrote, "All ... terrorists were known by name to the shopkeepers and the householders who live in the narrow alleys surrounding the Golden Temple. ... The Punjab police must have known who they were also, but they made no attempt to arrest them. By this time Bhindranwale and his men were above the law." [Tully and Jacob, p94.]

Death

On June 3, 1984 Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi initiated Operation Blue Star and ordered the Indian Army to surround the Golden Temple complex to remove armed militants from the complex. It was widely reported that Bhindranwale did not survive the operation and is thus regarded as a martyr by some Sikhs.

According to Lieutenant General Kuldip Singh Brar, who commanded the operation, the body of Bhindranwale was identified by a number of agencies, including the police, the Intelligence Bureau and militants in the Army's custody. [cite book | last=Brar |first=K. S.| year=1993 | month=| title=Operation Blue Star: The True Story | publisher=UBS Publishers| location=New Delhi | isbn=8185944296 | pages=p114 ] Bhindranwale's brother is also reported to have identified Bhindranwale's body. [cite book | last=Akbar |first=M. J.| year=1996 | month=| title=India: The Siege Within: Challenges to a Nation's Unity | publisher=UBS Publishers| location=New Delhi | isbn=8174760768 | pages=p196 ] Pictures of what appear to be Bhindranwale's body have been published in at least two widely circulated books, "Tragedy of Punjab: Operation Bluestar and After" and "Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle". BBC correspondent Mark Tully also reported seeing Bhindranwale's body during his funeral.

People who maintain that he survived the operation include Dilbir Singh, the Public Relations Advisor at Guru Nanak Dev University.cite web|title= The enigma of Bhindranwale|publisher="Frontline"|last=Kaur |first=Naunidhi |date=2001-06-23|url=http://www.flonnet.com/fl1813/18130360.htm|accessdate=2007-03-17] He stated that Bhindranwale was injured on the right side of his temple. He stated, "a government doctor verified he was captured alive. He was tortured to death." [cite book | last=Pettigrew |first=Joyce| year=1995 | month=| title=The Sikhs of the Punjab: Unheard Voices of State and Guerrilla Violence | publisher=Zed Books| location=London | isbn=1856493555 | pages=p34-35 ] [Pettigrew (1995), p51.] R.K. Bajaj, a correspondent for Surya magazine, claimed to have seen a photograph of Bhindranwale in custody. [cite book | last=Jaijee |first=Inderjit Singh| year=1999 | month=| title=Politics of Genocide: Punjab (1984-1998) | publisher=Ajanta Publications| location=New Delhi | isbn=8120204158 | pages=p59 ] This claim is strongly contested, especially by Bhindranwale's son who has now become a prominent figure within Sikh politics. Some within the Damdami Taksal claimed he is still alive. However, Jarnail Singh was pronounced a martyr by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee at a function in 2003. [cite news|title=Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: Unclear Legacy |publisher="The Indian Express" |date=2003-06-09|url=http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_060903b.html|accessdate=2007-03-27]

Legacy

Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was praised by many Sikhs as a martyr of common time,cite web|title= Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale |publisher=Shaheedi Immorality|date=|url=http://saintsoldiers.net/ss/?p=jar|accessdate=2007-03-27] but by other Sikhs he was considered a terrorist. Famed Indian novelist Khushwant Singh stated that [Operation Blue Star] gave the movement for Khalistan its first martyr in Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale." [Singh (1999), p378.] In 2003, at a function arranged by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Joginder Singh Vedanti, former "jathedar" of the Akal Takht made a formal declaration that Bhindranwale was a "martyr" and awarded his son, Ishar Singh, a robe of honor. [cite news|title=Takht accepts Bhindranwale’s death |publisher="The Tribune"|date=2003-06-06|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030607/main3.htm|accessdate=2007-06-25] Harbans Singh's "The Encyclopedia of Sikhism" describes Bhindranwale as "a phenomenal figure of modern Sikhism." [cite book | editor=Singh, Harbans | year=1996 | month= | title=The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism | publisher=Punjabi University | location=Patiala, India | isbn=817380530X | pages=Vol. 2, p352 ]

Vir Sanghvi, one of India's leading political commentators said, " [Bhindranwale] remains a martyr in the eyes of many Sikhs. " [Sandhu (1999), pXL.] Others feel Bhidranwale wanted to rise to fame and create the theocratic nation of Khalistan. Some feel that Bhindranwale was responsible for the instigation of Operation Blue Star after he intentionally turned the Akal Takht into a fortress in Amritsar. [cite book | last=Marty | first=Martin E. | year=1995 | month= | title=The Fundamentalism Project | publisher=University of Chicago Press | location=Chicago | isbn=0-226-50878-1 | pages=p596-597 ]

Cynthia Keppley Mahmood wrote in "Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues With Sikh Militants" that Bhindranwale never learned English but mastered Punjabi. He was adept at television, radio and press interviews.cite book| last = Keppley| first = Cynthia| authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues With Sikh Militants | publisher = University of Pennsylvania Press| date = 1997| location = | pages = p77| url = | isbn = 0812215923] Keppley further stated that "those who knew him personally uniformly report his general likability and ready humour as well his dedication to Sikhism". The author further states that "Largely responsible for launching Sikh militancy, he is valorized by millitants and de-monised by enemies and the accounts from the two divergent sources seem to refer to two completely different persons."

References

External links

* [http://ia.rediff.com/news/2004/jun/10spec1.htm Why Osama resembles Bhindranwale]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6570000/newsid_6572600/6572653.stm?bw=bb&mp=rm&news=1&bbcws=1 June 6, 1984 BBC broadcast of Indian troops raiding the Golden Temple]
* [http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1024&context=gis From Bhindranwale to Bin Laden: The Rise of Religious Violence]
* [http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/publication/nightsoffalsehood/falsehood4.htm Knights of Falsehood - by K.P.S. Gill, former D.G.P. Punjab]
* [http://www.countercurrents.org/comm-khushwantsing071104.htm "Oh, That Other Hindu Riot of Passage - an article by Khushwant Singh]
* [http://www.neverforget84.com/videos.php Videos of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale speeches & related issues]