Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale or Jarnail Singh (Punjabi: ਜਰਨੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਭਿੰਡਰਾਂਵਾਲੇ; February 12, 1947–June 6, 1984) was the leader of the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh religious group based in India. Bhindranwale carried heavy influence among many Sikh fundamentalists in Punjab during his time at the top of Sikh religion. He tried to spread the original values of Sikhism and persuaded young people to follow the original rules and tenets of the religion. He was known for his support for the creation of the proposed Sikhism-based theocratic state of Khalistan. In 1981, Bhidranwale was arrested for his suspected involvement in the murder of Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group. Although he willingly surrendered to police and later released due to lack of evidence, Bhindranwale was kept on close watch by Indian police officials. Bhindranwale is more notable for his involvement in Operation Bluestar in which he and other militants occupied the Akal Takht complex, including the Golden Temple, in Amritsar. He was killed by the Indian Army, who had orders from Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to kill separatist Sikh 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 terrorist and extremist.
Early life
Bhindranwale was born in the village of Rode, in the Faridkot District of Punjab. His father, Joginder Singh, was a farmer and a local Sikh leader. He had seven sons and one daughter,Jagir Singh,Jagjit Singh,Captain Harcharan Singh,Jugraj Singh,Harjeet Singh,Veer Singh and the youngest of the sons was Jarnail Singh, and the daughter was Manjeet Kaur.Jarnail Singh was brought up as a strict vegetarian.Bhidranwala took Amrit (Khande ka Pahul)at the age of five years. His early education was in goverment primary school,where he studied until the fifth grade. Bhindranwale took up farming until 1964.When in those days Sant Gurbachan Singh Bindranwale came to village Rode,where Jarnail Singh joined the DAMDAMI TAKSAL (Jatha Bindran),based in the village of Mehta Chownk. The Damdami Taksal is a traveling Sikh university,which originated in the times of GURU GOBIND SINGH.The first head (Jathedar)of the Taksal was Shaeed Baba DEEP SINGH.Sant Gurbachan Singh Khalsa Bindrawale was the 12th Jathedar of the Taksal.Under the guidance of Sant Gurbachan Singh Khalsa Bindrawale, Jarnail Singh began a year long course in spirtual,scriptual,theological and historical Sikh studies. A year later, Jarnail Singh went back to his village and settled back to farming. In 1966 he was married to Bibi Pritam Kaur, daughter of Bhai Sucha Singh of Bilaspur. His wife bore him two sons, Ishar Singh and Inderjit Singh, in 1971 and 1975, respectively.
Rise to popularity
In Punjab, Bhindranwale went from village to village as a religious missionary talking with Sikh people. He asked Sikhs to live according to the rules and tenets of Sikhism. 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 the path of the Khalsa by giving up vices like alcohol,tobbacco,drugs,prostitution,or any other addictions which will effect the mental or physicalof the individual. His focus on fighting beside the then akali party under Sant Harchand singh longowal for the ANANDPUR SAHIB RESOLUTION (see footnote) and other demands that were put forward to the indian goverment, which came to be known as DHARMJUDH MORCHA made him a hero in the eyes of young Sikhs. The successor to Gurbachan Singh Khalsa, Kartar Singh Khalsa, who died in a road accident on August 16, 1977, mentioned Bhidranwale as being the new leader of the Damdami Taksal. Bhidranwale was formally elected at a bhog ceremony at Mehta Chowk on August 25, 1977
Politics and movement for Khalistan
Bhindranwale participated in politics when in 1979, Bhindranwale put up forty candidates in the SGPC elections for a total of 140 seats, all but four were defeated. A year later, Bhindranwale campaigned actively for Congress in three constituencies' during the general elections. Due to his lack of success in election politics, Bhindranwale did not personally seek any political offices. In response to questions asked about his political ambitions Bhindranwale replied:"If I ever became a president of the Shiromani Akali Dal or the S.G.P.C. [Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee], an M.L.A., a government minister, or a member of parliament...I shall deserve a shoe-beating from the sikh panth". By 1982-83 Bindranwala became so popular with the sikhs of punjab that the people came to him for justice. . As stated in a 1984 Time Magazine article, Bhindranwale had become so popular that he had usurped the authority of the Shiromani Akali Dal, a Punjab-based Sikh political party. Bhindranwale wielded a great deal of power and the political factions in Punjab did not make commit any major action without thinking about Bhindranwale's response.
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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." To which he added, "if the Indian Government invaded the Darbar Sahib complex, the foundation for an independent Sikh state will have been laid.
Role in the militancy
On April 13, 1978, GurSikhs of Akhand Kirtani Jatha went to protest against Nirankaris.How were preaching against the sikh Gurus.The march was lead by Bhai Fauja singh of the Akhand Kirtni Jatha,this was a peaceful protest.Before reaching the place where the Nirankari Gurbachan Singh was preaching the protesters were fired upon. The confrontation led to the murder of thirteen members of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha and 3 Nirankaris.In this comotion Gurbachan singh was wisked away under the protection of the police to the state border and into Haryana state.The FIR (first incident report) named twenty-two persons, several of whom were known associates of Bhindranwale.The victims were implicated. This infuriated Sikhs further.The FIR filed against Gurbachan Singh amounted to nothing except, him being aquited of all the cases which were registered against him at the Karnal high court. On April 24, 1980, the leader of Nirankaris, Gurbachan Singh, was killed. The FIR named nearly 20 people involved in the murder, most of whom had ties to Bhindranwale. Bhindranwale was subsequently implicated in ordering the assassination. A carpenter from Dehli, Ranjit Singh, surrendered himself to the police for committing the assassination three years later, and he was sentenced to serve 13 years at the Tihar Jail. Bhidranwale was later released as he could not be charged by the police due to lack of evidence.
On September 9, 1981, Lala Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group, was shot dead near the Amaltas Motel.[5] Lala Jagat Narain was a prominent opponent of Bhindranwale. Two days after the assassination, police issued warrants for the arrest of Bhidranwale. Under the command of the then DIG MANGAT the police reached Chando Kalan, a Haryana village, failed to produce any arrest,and because of this the police burned two buses in which the Guru Granth Sahib lay. Upon seeing this, Bhidranwale publicly announced that he would surrender on September 20 1981.
On September 20, 1981, Bhindranwale was arrested on charges of orchestrating Lala Jagat Narain's murder. After the arrest the public was outraged,there were clashes between the young sikhs and the police, the police, trying to bring the crowd under control opened fire into the crowd, as a result, 18 people were dead and score left injured.Over the next 25 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. In a public statement issued soon after, Bhindranwale expressed his approval for Lala Jagat Narain's murder.In this statement he accused Narain of writing distastefully about the lives of the sikh Gurus,In his paper Narain wrote in his editorial that the tenth Guru of the sikh GURU GOBIND SINGH used to live like prince and he had other vices.The sikhs of punjab wrote to Lala Jagat Narain about the artical expressing their anger but instead of appologising for the artical Narain spewed more venom at the sikhs by accusing them of being traitors to india. The staff of Narain's newspaper, the Punjab Kesri, and its distributors were targeted for some months and 62 people linked to the paper were murdered.
Death
On June 3, 1984 Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi initiated Operation Bluestar and ordered the Indian Army to surround the Golden Temple complex to kill the militants in the complex. It was widely reported that Bhindranwale did not survive the operation and is thus regarded as a "martyr" by 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 Sikh fighters in the Army's custody. Bhindranwale's brother is also reported to have identified Bhindranwale's body. 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.[16] 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." R.K. Bajaj, a correspondent for Surya magazine, claimed to have seen a photograph of Bhindranwale in custody. 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.
Legacy
Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was praised by many Sikhs as a matyr of common time. Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale is hailed by some for his efforts to preach the philosophy of the Guru Granth Sahib to the Sikh people. In 2003, at a function arranged by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Joginder Singh Vedanti, the present jathedar of the Akal Takht made a formal declaration that Bhindranwale was a "martyr" and awarded his son, Ishar Singh, a robe of honor. Harbans Singh's The Encyclopedia of Sikhism describes Bhindranwale as "a phenomenal figure of modern Sikhism."
Famous Quotations
'My mission is to administer Amrit, to explain the meanings of Gurbani and to teach Gurbani to those around me; ... and (to tell people) that a Hindu should be a firm Hindu, a Muslim should be a firm Muslim, and a Sikh should be a firm Sikh'. His preaching was based on love. He said: 'If we speak to someone with hatred and try to assert our superiority, it will create hatred in the minds of everyone. So long as we have the spirit of love, so long as we have the support of Satguru Hargobind Sahib, the Master of Miri and Piri, is there any power on earth that can subdue us?'
'Nashey chaddo, Amrit chhako, Gursikh bano (Give up addictions, Take Amrit, Become good Sikhs)'.
"I am not opposed to Khalistan, nor am I for it, I seek only equal rights for Sikhs."
'if the Indian Government invaded the Darbar Sahib complex, the foundation for an independent Sikh state will have been laid.'
'We are firm extremists but of what type? Those who act the way Government says an extremist does. Whom does the Government call extremists? A person who takes Amrit (is formally initiated into the Sikh Faith) and administers it to others; who reads Baani (Siri Guru Granth Sahib) and teaches others to read it; who preaches unity and exhorts people to work together; who turns people towards cooperation; who unites them under the saffron Nishaan Sahib (the Sikh religious flag); who unites them with Akal Takhat Sahib and Harmandar Sahib; who is desirous of seeking justice (retribution) for the dishonor to our daughters and sisters, for the spilt blood of innocent people, for the irreverence shown towards Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the True King, and exhorts others to do the same - and we have to get these rights - the present Government has started calling such people extremists. Only Sikhs Of The Guru Have Volunteered. They Are More Than A Fistful.
I had said these things when I asked people to raise their arms. He who is a Sikh of the spinning wheel and the goat, a Sikh of the Radhaswamis and Narkdharias (Nirankaris), a Sikh who waters the pipal tree and sprinkles sandhoor on the Jand tree, should not raise his arm in the presence of our Master (Siri Guru Granth Sahib). He who is a Sikh of Satguru Granth Sahib, is a friend of the Panth (the Khalsa Brotherhood), has respect for the honor of daughters and sisters, has respect for the spilt blood of the innocent and the brave, should raise his arms. This was the pledge I got from the stage. They were 115,000. She should think it over. They were 115,000. (One might say to her): "You are not the form of Guru Nanak that you can include all of them in your fist. Your fist could not even contain Jagjiwan Ram (a former Minister in the Government of India), not even Bajpai (a Hindu leader) and others. They left you and departed. How will you hold 115,000 Sikhs in your fist through mere talk?" She says there is only a handful! From one point of view it is even a good thing. So long as the fist is closed the fist is formed, it is there. When we open the hand, it becomes a slap. Fingers cannot hurt as much as a fist can. When the fingers are closed they call it a fist. You know, in our language, what the fist can do. So, Khalsa Ji, so long as our fist is closed, we are together. We desist from mutual criticism. We are Guru's Singhs and work together. Let us stop saying "I am a Congressite, I am an Akali, I am Bhindranwala, I am so and so." Giving these up, one thing should penetrate the Sikh's mind: "I am a Sikh, I want to live in Hindostan as a Sikh and not as a kesdhari Hindu (Hindu with uncut hair)." When this thing enters our mind (we shall succeed). She says "they are a handful." One hundred and fifteen thousand have made the pledge here. Some friends have registered their names with me too. Some say: "Why have they registered their names with you?" Some brothers talk like this too. I do not wish to name them, may God give them good sense. I pray to the Guru. I am not angry with them. That's all the wisdom they have. Friends have registered their names with me too. Who are the people who have done so? These were those who said: "We are not going anywhere without you." The President, Sant Baba Harchand Singh Ji Longowal, was asked. A request was made to him: "Baba Ji, some Singhs think like this. You should tell us (what to do). If tomorrow there is going to be a talk that (Bhindranwale is) forming his own Akali Dal, then I shall request these people to go home. But if you so order, I can register them." He said: "Get them registered." Persons between sixteen and forty years of age have been registered. We have registered older persons as well but that (list) is separate. In this age group, the count with me is thirty thousand. She says they are a handful! Garja Singh and Bota Singh (Sikh heroes from 18th century who defied the Imperial rulers) were two. It will be good if the Guru has mercy, the Satguru is benevolent, and the job gets completed in peace. We definitely are supporters of peace, but if the train once starts then it will be known whether they are a mere handful or too many even for (enclosing in a blanket) wrap.'
Proof of Discrimination against Sikhs
- "To preserve the unity of India, if we have to eradicate 2-kror (20 million) sikhs, we will do so" (Balram Jhakhar, friend of former Prime Minister Narsimharao)
- "The Sikhs are lawless people and a menace to the law abiding Hindus. The governement should take strict action against them" (Pandit Nehru, Indian Prime Minister, on Sikhs.
- "Kya main taqat dushman" (the enemy-the Sikhs)ke haath main de dun" (How can I entrust power into the hands of the enemies). (Jawahar Lal Nehru, 1961)
- "I hate the very physique of a Sikh because of the turban and beard" (Vallabh Bhai Patel, Late Top Indian Politician)
- "I don't give a damn if the Golden Temple and the whole of Amritsar is destroyed, I want Bhindranwale dead" (Indira Gandhi, communicating to General Vaidya during operation Bluestar)
- "We have broken the backs of the Sikhs and we will get them elsewhere" (M.M.K Wali, Indian Foreign Secretary, June 7th on the radio)
- "Let us teach these bastards (the sikhs) a lesson" (Rajiv Gandhi, October 31 (1984). This was said to instigate the riots following Indira Gandh'is death which killed 20,000 sikhs.)
- "You do not know the might of our armed forces. We will eliminate 10,000 sikh youths and the world will know nothing of it" (Chander Shekhar, former Prime Minister of India, 1991)
For further information please visit these sites:
- Audio and Video Speeches of Sant Jarnail SIngh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale
- For more information about Sant Ji and 1984
- For more quotations
