Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale Biography 
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was a political revolutionary in the early to mid-1980s. He was a leader of the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh religious group who lost his life in then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s military operation - Operation Blue Star. This military operation eventually led to the assassination of Indira Gandhi, and an anti-Sikh program which killed over 3000 Sikhs. Though the demand for formation of separate Khalistan has been almost uprooted except a few isolated voices in the past two decades, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale remains an iconic figure among Punjabis.
Even after three decades of his death, Bhindranwale remains an emotional figure for the Sikh people at large and in 2003 SGPC conferred him the status of martyr. Though Bhindranwale himself never claimed his support for Khalistan – separate territory for Sikhs, through several statements he made, it was implied that he supported the Khalistan movement. He gained political prominence in the late 1970s, when Congress backed Bhindranwale to weaken the Akali Dal in Punjab and split the Sikh vote.
His real name is Jarnail Singh Brar. He was born on 2 June 1947 in Rode village of Moga district, Punjab. His father, Joginder Singh Brar was a farmer and a local Sikh leader. He had 7 siblings including one sister. He was married to Pritam Kaur and the couple had two children. Jagjit Singh Chauhan who first supported the idea of an independent Sikh country was in constant contact with Jarnail and that’s how he too got involved in Khalistan movement. After he was backed by Congress in the late 1970s, he rose to a prominent Sikh leader position.
But with early 1980s, several murders occurred in Punjab and it was a time of tensions and violence too. He was accused of killing Lala Jagat Narayan, a journalist who advocated against the use of Punjabi in Hindi schools in Punjab. He was a prime accused of Nirankari leader Gurbachan Singh too. Though he was arrested he was released due to lack of evidence. Akali Dal considered him to be a Congress agent, which changed Bhindranwale’s equation with Congress.
Akali Dal and Bhindranwale launched the Dharam Yudh Morcha in August 1982, which was not supported by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Agitations were violently suppressed by police and thousands were arrested, and Bhindranwale continued with the violent measures like bombing. In June 1984, Bhindranwale and his armed supporters took refuge inside the Amritsar Harmandir Sahib Complex. By June first week, through Operation Blue Star militant force conducted raid in the golden temple and gained control over the complex and Bhindranwale was killed in the operation on 6 June 1984. The operation led to the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October 1984, which triggered the 1984 anti-Sikh riots killing thousands of Sikhs.
Published: N/A
Updated: April 25, 2016
