A false narrative about Punjab’s situation was built in the months leading up to Operation Bluestar in June 1984, leading to disastrous consequences, says a new book based on the memoirs of the late BD Pande, the Governor of Punjab from October 10, 1983, to June 27, 1984, when the state was under President’s rule.

Titled ‘In the Service of Free India’, the book edited by his daughter Ratna M Sudarshan, and published by Speaking Tiger, comes more than a decade after his death in 2009 at the age of 92. Pande, who also served as the Union Cabinet Secretary and Governor of West Bengal, penned the memoirs between 1986 and 1999 and instructed his family to publish these at least five years after his death. Pande, who had a front-row seat of the events, lauds the Sikhs as a community and is highly critical of the central leadership, especially PM Indira Gandhi, and some “Hindu hardliners and vernacular press for contributing to the false narrative”. He also blames the tussle between President Zail Singh and former Punjab CM Darbara Singh for the unfolding of the events. Pande vehemently defends the Punjab Police and bureaucracy, saying they were on the top of the situation. 

About Operation Blue Star:

• Operation Blue Star was the code name of an Indian military action which was carried out between 1 and 10 June 1984, in order to remove the Sikh Damdami Taksal leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from the buildings of Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, Punjab.

• The decision to launch the attack rested with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,who according to retired general S.K. Sinha had been considering the operation for more than 18 months prior, authorizing army preparation for it long before any insurgents were in the complex.

• In July 1982, Harchand Singh Longowal, the President of the Sikh political party Akali Dal, had invited Bhindranwale to take up residence in the Golden Temple Complex to evade arrest.

By: Atul Dhimann