Background of the Khalistan Movement

The idea of Khalistan comes from Sikhism, a religion that started in the 15th century while northern India was controlled by the Mughals.

Guided by Guru Gobind Singh, in 1699 the religion was reshaped into Khalsa, a term from Arabic that means pure. This change included a political aspect. This is to defend Sikhs and different faiths against religious oppression and to set up Sikh governance. These are the years showing the history of the Khalistan movement:

• 1947: The Indian subcontinent was divided, and thus came about a movement called Punjabi Suba. This movement advocated for the establishment of a state in which Sikh people who speak Punjabi could have their government.
• In 1952, the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru declared his intention to stop requests for creating a state where Punjabi would be the main language. This move began causing rifts between Sikh and Hindu people.
• Ultimately, in 1966, the state of Punjab was created, with Chandigarh as its capital.

What is the Khalistan Movement?

Khalistan is what some Sikhs call the state they hope to create. This state would include Punjab from India and other places where people speak Punjabi in north India. They would make it a country for Sikhs.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, in India, there was more support for the movement that wanted freedom based on ethnic and religious identity. It became less active after some time, but nowadays it is getting more attention from Sikh people living abroad.

The Emergence of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale

Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale emerged during times of political turmoil. He was a religious preacher who claimed to be “the voice of the Sikhs.”

• Congress’s intention had been to balance Shiromani Akali Dal influence in Punjab and hence approached Bhindranwale.
• By the start of the 1980s, he began to present challenges because he gained a following among young people. Bhindranwale was also participating in forceful speeches.
• In 1982, he became part of the Dharam Yudh Morcha, which is a nonviolent protest started by Akalis.
• To escape arrest from police officers, he moved to Akal Takht, which is located in the Golden Temple area.

Operation Blue Star was started by the Indian Army in June 1984 to conduct an operation on Harmandir Sahib, which is usually called as “Golden Temple” by many people. They also attacked 41 other Gurudwaras across Punjab state.

The Army managed to succeed, yet certain Sikhs became very angry because they saw this mission as an assault on their religion. It started at a time when human rights were not respected much in Punjab, and this situation is still affecting how laws work in India today.

In this article, we will look into the background history, meaning, key points, and the aftermath of Operation Blue Star in detail.