This year marks the 30th anniversary of the attack, ordered by the Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi, on the holiest of Sikh shrines, Sri Harimandir Sahib Ji, otherwise known as the Golden Temple, in which 400 people are believed to have died. This week, according to cabinet papers released under the 30 -ear rule, we have learned the shocking news that the British government provided military advice on the attack
This event unleashed a terrible period in Indian history which led to the assassination of Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards who blamed her for ordering the military assault to remove Bhindrawale and his armed group. Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale was a charismatic Sikh separatist who was calling for a Sikh homeland known as Khalistan and was growing in influence and popularity. Many saw him, and still do see him as a freedom fighter, but the Indian government saw him as a threat to their authority in Punjab and saw the potential for the campaign for a separate Sikh homeland to gain momentum. In the months leading up to June 1984, he had moved into the Golden Temple complex with his armed group. The Indian authorities in Delhi had become increasingly alarmed at this and started formulating plans to remove him by force.
The resulting assault came at a heavy cost to human life including innocent worshippers and the destruction of large parts of the Temple including the most revered part, the Akal Takht. The official figures put the loss of life at 400 but these are disputed with many Sikh organisations putting the figure in the thousands. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the events, it struck at the heart of the Sikh psyche and resonated across the diaspora of Sikhs including here in Britain. The subsequent assassination of the Indian prime minister unleashed mobs in India who massacred Sikhs on the streets of Delhi and other cities and towns in reprisals. Again the number of people killed is contested, official figures putting it at 3,000 but some Sikhs saying it was upwards of 10,000 or more. The authorities were later accused of standing by while thousands of Sikhs were slaughtered with no one subsequently brought to justice. This began a period of human rights abuses in Punjab against Sikhs and their families who were seen to be still linked to the separatist movement. Human rights organisations still believe these suspected abuses are going on to this day. Thirty years on from 1984, the fight for Justice for the families of those who lost loved ones still continues without much success. It’s a period that many in Indian politics want to brush under the carpet despite India having a Sikh prime minister, Manmohan Singh.
These documents and others which apparently have not been released add a new and disturbing dimension to this episode which still lives in the hearts of minds of British Sikhs. India is a great country of which most Sikhs are proud of and have given their lives to defend over the centuries. What hurts is that a British government might have colluded in the military operation rather than urge the Indian government not to attack the Temple but instead to seek a peaceful way forward. In the centenary year of the first world war where thousands of brave Sikhs gave their lives for Britain, we need to have the full truth on this anniversary too, however painful that is.
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Vijay Riyait is a councillor on Leicester city council and a member of the Progress strategy board. He tweets @vriyait
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