1984 is one of those years in Indian history that reek of blood. The rampant killings by the secessionist terrorists, the Indian army’s entry into the holiest of places for the Sikhs – the Golden Temple itself - to capture those terrorists, subsequent assassination of Indira Gandhi to avenge that ‘insult’, and the resultant pogroms that mercilessly butchered innocent Sikhs in and around Delhi – if all these didn’t shock the Indians enough, the year wrapped up with the Bhopal gas tragedy, which wiped out more than 2000 people overnight.
I am always fascinated by history, especially Indian history. But the problem with history is that you must view it through various perspectives in order to arrive at the real, clear picture. Identifying the correct, well-informed and unbiased sources of history is a big challenge, especially in an age where fake news and misinformation campaigns have really become a threat to the very fabric of human societies. This book by Mark Tully stands out for the very reason that it tries to bring out the facts of that time without being biased to any side. It places the blame on the culprits, gives credit where it is due and states the facts without giving us any hints to judge on a particular way.
Politicians across the globe have this bad habit of creating demons to do their sayings, but such demons have inevitably ended up haunting their own masters. The world recently, and painfully, learnt this lesson for the Nth time when Osama bin Laden, CIA’s poster boy in a cause against the Russians, perpetrated the worst terror attack on the American soil. Two decades before that, India also had such a radical, fundamentalist preacher whom the Congress politicians groomed for their narrow-minded political gains. Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was a preacher with radical notions but living in oblivion. Sanjay and his coterie brought him to the limelight in order to weaken their opposition in Punjab, the Akali Dal. But soon the sant, meaning ‘saint’, accumulated a lot of followers, grew more radical and became quite a brutal force to reckon with.
With support pouring in for him in all forms, Bhindranwale started running a parallel government, terrorizing not just the common people of Punjab but the very unity of this country. The spinelessness of the government led things to the breaking point, allowing the Sant to not just occupy the holy shrine of the Sikhs but to turn it into a fortress, amassing weapons and supplies to challenge the very might of the Indian army. The rest, as they say, is well-known history.
When I searched the web for a book on Operation Blue Star, this was one of those few that topped the list of reliable accounts. Having read this book, I could understand why. From briefing us about the early history of Punjab to describing those events that led to the crescendo that shook Delhi and caused deep divides in Indian society, it is all in here. Written in simple, flowing style, without being prejudiced against any of the parties involved in the conflict, this is a must-read for any lover of Indian history!
I am always fascinated by history, especially Indian history. But the problem with history is that you must view it through various perspectives in order to arrive at the real, clear picture. Identifying the correct, well-informed and unbiased sources of history is a big challenge, especially in an age where fake news and misinformation campaigns have really become a threat to the very fabric of human societies. This book by Mark Tully stands out for the very reason that it tries to bring out the facts of that time without being biased to any side. It places the blame on the culprits, gives credit where it is due and states the facts without giving us any hints to judge on a particular way.
Politicians across the globe have this bad habit of creating demons to do their sayings, but such demons have inevitably ended up haunting their own masters. The world recently, and painfully, learnt this lesson for the Nth time when Osama bin Laden, CIA’s poster boy in a cause against the Russians, perpetrated the worst terror attack on the American soil. Two decades before that, India also had such a radical, fundamentalist preacher whom the Congress politicians groomed for their narrow-minded political gains. Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was a preacher with radical notions but living in oblivion. Sanjay and his coterie brought him to the limelight in order to weaken their opposition in Punjab, the Akali Dal. But soon the sant, meaning ‘saint’, accumulated a lot of followers, grew more radical and became quite a brutal force to reckon with.
With support pouring in for him in all forms, Bhindranwale started running a parallel government, terrorizing not just the common people of Punjab but the very unity of this country. The spinelessness of the government led things to the breaking point, allowing the Sant to not just occupy the holy shrine of the Sikhs but to turn it into a fortress, amassing weapons and supplies to challenge the very might of the Indian army. The rest, as they say, is well-known history.
When I searched the web for a book on Operation Blue Star, this was one of those few that topped the list of reliable accounts. Having read this book, I could understand why. From briefing us about the early history of Punjab to describing those events that led to the crescendo that shook Delhi and caused deep divides in Indian society, it is all in here. Written in simple, flowing style, without being prejudiced against any of the parties involved in the conflict, this is a must-read for any lover of Indian history!
