The Aftermath of Operation Blue Star

After Operation Blue Star finished, the situation was similar to past attacks on the Golden Temple. Many people died because they wanted revenge for this operation. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed by her two Sikh security guards. General AS Vaidya, the 13th leader of the Army who managed that mission, got murdered in Pune after he left his job.

Kanishka, the airplane with AI Flight 182, was carrying passengers flying from Montreal to Delhi, and it went down after being bombed. About 5000 soldiers from the Sikh regiment in the Indian army and another company of other organizations were also part of the operation. Numerous distinguished Sikh leaders and scholars who received awards from the Indian government gave back their medals and certificates.

Assassination of Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi got killed on the 31st of October in 1984. She was shot by her own security men, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, who were close to her with their guns. They did this because they wanted to get back for how the Sikhs felt embarrassed. And how their holy place, the Golden Temple, was not respected when Operation Blue Star happened earlier that same year in June.

Riots Against Sikhs

After the two Sikh bodyguards killed then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, riots against Sikhs started. In these violent times, many Sikhs lost their lives, with Delhi being the city that suffered most; Kanpur also saw significant unrest.

For three years, the Special Investigation Team pinpointed 92 suspects believed to be part of killings, violent disturbances, setting fires, and theft across 11 severe crime incidents related to riots. Checks showed that out of these 92 individuals, 20 had passed away.

The SIT collected proof and talked with witnesses across Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Around 135 individuals gave their testimony according to Section 164 of the CrPC in front of a qualified magistrate in Kanpur. They assisted the SIT by identifying 72 persons linked to the riots from 1984. They also mentioned DIG Balendu Bhushan Singh, who was in charge of leading this investigation.

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.