Operation Blue Star: The Congress government in 1984 had launched a major operation to flush out militants from the Golden Temple, a Sikh holy site in Amritsar, Punjab. This operation was named as “Operation Blue Star”. This decision by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was widely criticized, especially by the Sikh community. As a result, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards a few months later.
Operation Blue Star: What was Operation Blue Star?
Operation Blue Star was a military operation carried out in June 1984 by the Indian Army to eliminate Khalistani terrorist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his supporters hiding within the Golden Temple complex. The operation caused extensive damage to the temple and claimed numerous civilian lives.
P Chidambaram News: What did P Chidambaram say?
Recently, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram expressed his views on the operation. During a discussion at the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, he said that sending the army to the Golden Temple was the wrong approach.
Chidambaram was discussing journalist Harinder Baweja’s book “They Will Shoot You, Madam.” He said, “I am not insulting any army officer, but I believe the method that was used to reclaim the Golden Temple was wrong.”
P Chidambaram Statement on Indira Gandhi: Indira Gandhi paid a heavy price
Chidambaram added that the decision ultimately cost Indira Gandhi her life, acknowledging that Operation Blue Star was a serious mistake for which she paid dearly.
He also clarified that this decision was not solely Indira Gandhi’s. The army, police, intelligence agencies, and administration also played a role in it. Therefore, it is not fair to blame Indira Gandhi alone. He asked the author, “Are you going to put all the blame on Indira Gandhi alone?”
Punjab and Khalistan Movement today
Speaking about the current situation in Punjab, Chidambaram said that the demand for Khalistan has virtually ended. The state’s biggest challenge now is economic problems. He said that unemployment, drug addiction, and illegal immigration have become increasingly pressing problems in Punjab.
