Morning:
9°c
Battle inflamed by attack on Golden Temple is at a turning point ... in Britain
Andrew Gilligan21.04.08
For a time in the 1980s, Sikh militants occupied the same place in the international terrorist pantheon as Muslim fundamentalists do now.
In the Indian state of Punjab, the Sikh heartland, separatists under the leadership of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale began a campaign of terror to press their demand for the Punjab to become an independent Sikh state, Khalistan.
Many Hindus, and Sikh opponents of Bhindranwale, were murdered and he and armed followers took over the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, the Sikh equivalent of the Kaaba at Mecca. In June 1984, Indian forces stormed the site, damaging one of the holiest shrines and killing an estimated 1,000 civilians, including pilgrims, as well as the militants. Sikh fury erupted in a nine-year insurgency which claimed about 20,000 lives. The ISYF and Babbar Khalsa played a leading part in the killing, with a campaign of bombings and shootings of civilians.
In October 1984, the Indian prime minister who ordered the Golden Temple assault, Indira Gandhi, was assassinated by one of her Sikh bodyguards. In 1985, Sikh terrorism went international, with the devastating attack on an Air India flight from Montreal to London.
There was a simultaneous, failed, attack on a flight from Japan. Britain's large Sikh community provided money, arms and at least one of the Air India bombers.
By 1993 the Sikh insurgency was largely over. But the Babbar Khalsa and Sikh Federation UK still keep the separatist flame alive. Last October, the Babbar Khalsa bombed a packed cinema in the Punjabi city of Ludhiana, killing six. A BBC File on 4 investigation earlier this year unearthed current links between leading British-based Sikh militants and al-Qaeda.
The vast majority of the British Sikh community is peaceful and lawabiding. But recently Sikh militants have been regrouping here. In January, in unpleasant scenes of physical violence, they attempted to take over London's biggest Sikh temple, in Southall. Dabinderjit Singh was present, though there is no suggestion he took part in the violence. A temple in Leicester was revealed to have been running a martyrs' fund. A leading expert on the Sikh community, Professor Gurharpal Singh from Birmingham University, told File on 4 the Sikh community was "at a turning point".
Reader views (11)
This is total bull. Sant Jarnail singh never took over the Harimander Sahib, he fought against at the gov't at the Golden Temple where they both met. Secondly the gov't attacked Sikhs because we got a really big voice. If Indira Ghandi paid any attention to our demands she would loose majority hindu votes when she was getting elected Prime Minister. So she goes and tell Kuldip Brar the major general then to go and silence the sikh by killing Sant Jarnail singh who was telling his fellow brothers and sister to rise against the slavery of the gov't,they both had the fight the Golden Temple, we were totally outnumberd but we still fought lions and we took out a whole chunk of they army. They first brought in tanks and started blasting at the Akhal Takht but the not golden temple, we kept fighting but they were too many and the singhs in the fight died martyrs. Any survivors they found were rounded up and shot point blank range, including the women and children in the temple. After the two bodyguards of Ghandi found out they killed her, by them doing this Mobs started in the streets. They killed anybody who was a sikh. They raped women lit children on fire and killed anybody who stood in the way. Some of the attacks were governed by police and government officials. As you can see that is only the taste of what the gov't did. The singhs that fought werent terrorist they only fought the opressors never did they hurt a civilian, we only fought for our freedom and thats all.
- Akashdeep Singh, Canada
I am simply heartbroken to read an article like this. It pains me to see Sikhs depicted in this way. I like many others had no insight at all as to what happened in Punjab pre 1984 or post. I was only 6 at the time. But now as an adult and having looked at the reality of the situation, the outside world only sees what the outside world is shown - Andrew Gilligan is 'showing' but showing with great ignorance, lack of insight, lack of true journalism investigations. Sikhs are a peaceful kind, look around you and see the hundreds of thousands of Sikhs in this country who go about there business day in day out. How can a minority of say 0.0005% be allowed to tarnish the good name we Sikhs have driven to build? Why are journalists like Andrew Gilligan allowed to exercise freedom of speech in such an unethical way? How is that we are able to worship the war heroes of this country, each year and so gallantly but when a Sikh worships or pays respect to a Sikh man (martyr) who fought for the right to very basic human rights when no other option was available (very much like Bush and Blair did with Afghanistan and Iraq) then it is not justified. Minorities like Sikhs in India have always been persecuted and will remain persecuted when silly people like Andrew Gilligan write articles like this. How people like this sleep at night is beyond me.
- Ravi Kaur, Wolverhampton, West Midlands
Satnam makes out Bhindranwale the terrorist into a lamb - this is really funny. Bhindranwale occupied the Golden Temple, and filled the Akal Takht building with guns, rockets and ammunition. Under his direction, the Golden Temple had become a military fort from where innocent civilians were being killed left, right and centre. I should know - I lived in Punjab during the insurgency, during the storming of the temple, and afterwards. And to make this terrorist to sound like some sort of Joan of Arc is true irony. Satnam and others are living in denial.
- Krish Jumnabhai, Ilford, London
Dear Andrew, you should have researched your work before publication. Sikhs have a proud history and have been loyal partners with the British for nearly 200 years, during this period Mogul India saw both US and the British as terrorists, so as the theory goes, we are both British and Sikhs. Saint Jarnail Singh was a preacher who highlighted the discrimination policies of Congress Indra Gandhi. Her policies were to split Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus to win votes. She was responsible for lighting the fires that burnt in Northern India. Please Andrew, have a deeper and a mature look at all the Human Rights abuses Indian has committed over the past 50 years plus.
British Sikhs have always been independent and are asking for nothing more.
- Jas, Hounslow
Apparently according to a news blog ,Andrew was provided with this story by people close to the Indian Government last year. However he chose the election to try and spoil Ken's chances.
Thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed in an Indian Government crackdown on Sikhs in the Punjab, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have detailed these killings. There is no mention in the report. Sikhs are getting vilified by the press by this report when the story contains no proof of anybody having committed any extremist action. The last time I heard the UK allowed free speech. Maybe Ken has links with people who want Scottish Independence as well
- H Singh, London UK
Mrs Gandhi was absolutely right to order the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar in the same way that President Muhsharaff was right to order the storming of the Red Temple in Lahore. We must not allow religious institutions to be taken over by terrorists and used as a base and arsenal. If a similar situation arose in London, say the Christian Fundamentalist hid out in Westminster Abbey, then Govt would be absolutely right in flushing them out with force.
- Dhanraj, Basildon, Essex
This is a totally uneducated explanation of happenings with regards to the Sikh community.
Firstly, the so called 'terrorists' were Sikhs who died for what they believe in, against a evil regime dictated by Indira Gandhi. She was assassinated for desecrating Harmandar Sahib (golden Temple complex).
With regards to bhindranwale, if the reporter had done his homework, he would find that bhindranwale was merely standing up for the rights and freedom of the Sikh nation. Many reporters these days are pro-Indian government, just like Mark Tully was, giving a negative impression of the Sikhs who died fighting for their beliefs. To this day,there are ongoing captures, imprisonments and tortures going on in India to Sikhs who have defended themselves and other Sikhs....I seriously think some background research should be done into Sikh history before anyone starts pointing any fingers and suggesting false arguments.
- K, london
This article simply shows Andrew Gilligan's shear ignorance of the facts. I'm willing to bet my life that he did NO research whatsoever to find out the truth Behind Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and the root cause behind the problems of the mid 1980s in Punjab.
Bhindranwale NEVER (his speeches are freely available, as are interviews with non-partisan reporters) demanded Khalistan and was not a separatist. He was only interested in securing equal rights for Sikhs.
Come on Mr Gilligan, you can do better.
- Satnam Singh, London, UK.
It’s nothing new for the Sikhs to be branded ‘Terrorists / Fanatics’ just because they want a right to self determination, in country which has ethnically cleansed them and is still doing so under very covert operations.
To my knowledge and experience, during 1984 in Punjab the groups outlined where freedom fighting organisations, which tried to protect the Sikhs from unlawful killings.
After all what is one meant to do if there sister and mother has been raped in front of them and all other male relations murdered in most gruesome of ways known to human nature.
Limited media and human rights groups have been able to investigate and bring out the true story in the lead up and after the 1984 era.
You only have to take a look around at the Sikhs in the U.K to know no sort of ‘extremism, terrorism and killing of innocent people etc’ is present and never will be. As the basic tenants of Sikhism are against this.
One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter
(Gerald Seymour's Harry's Game (1975) if I’m correct)
- Hardeep Singh, West London, United Kingdom
Why is this being brought up now?
Yes we now there are Muslim fundamentalists but what has this got to do with Sikhs?
- Tony, London
This is total ignorance and lack of knowledge about the history of Sikhs and what they represent in society today. There are no sects of bad sikhs. Instead wrong stories have been derived in the past without understanding of the cause behind actions. There is total neglect about the doings of the internal Indian government situated in India who have been continually trying to corrupt the name of Sikhs, and been torturing and kidnapping Sikh persons due to such hate without anyone's knowledge by escaping the face of media. So in the end non-British Sikhs have the wrong idea altogether. It's rubbing about Sikhs regrouping etc and trying to take over a gurdwara - that was funny.
- Zara, London
