Historical Dictionary of Terrorism Third Edition

SIKH MILITANTS • 629Beginning on 20 July 1982 Bhindranwale joined other Sikh leadersin the Golden Temple of Amritsar to make a “peaceful agitation” toseek redress of Sikh grievances. While Bhindranwale remained withinthe temple sanctuary, outside the effective reach of the law, his followers,presumably with his blessing, began a campaign of terrorismagainst religiously lax Sikhs, political opponents, and Hindus livingin Punjab. Two hijackings were attempted while an assassinationattempt was made against the chief minister of Punjab. On 25 April1983 Deputy Chief Inspector of Police Atvar Singh Atwal, who hadvisited the Golden Temple to worship, was shot dead as soon as heleft its premises. The Indian government held Bhindranwale and hisfollowers responsible for this and for the massive outbreaks of sectarianviolence that the Dal Khalsa often instigated. Bhindranwale movedinto the innermost sanctum of the Golden Temple, the Akal Takht, on15 December 1983, and on the following day the Indian governmentissued a warrant for his arrest. On 5 June 1984 the Indian army beganOperation Blue Star, in the course of which they overran the GoldenTemple complex and heavily damaged the Akal Takht, or inner sanctumof the shrine, with tank fire. All told, about 700 soldiers perishedalong with 5,000 civilians, among them Bhindranwale.Following the desecration of the Golden Temple, Sikh extremistsbegan killing not only Indian government officials known to haveparticipated in formulating or executing Operation Blue Star, but alsomoderate Sikhs willing to settle for anything less than an independentKhalistan. On 10 August 1986 the Dal Khalsa claimed credit for theassassination of General A. S. Vaidya, who was the chief of the Indianarmy staff during Operation Blue Star. In June 1987 Dal Khalsamembers killed at least 12 people in two attacks in the village ofUdhwuk. Indira Gandhi was herself assassinated by her Sikh bodyguardson 31 October 1984, although their action was not connectedwith any of the Sikh militant groups.The Dal Khalsa remained under a ban until 1998, after which itrenounced use of violence to pursue its political and religious goals.The original leader, Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, remained at largebut was eventually cornered by Indian security forces and killed on28 February 1993. His successor, Gajinder Singh, who was one of thehijackers of the Indian Airlines jetliner in 1981, remains in hiding,presumably in Pakistan, and ceded leadership of the Dal Khalsa on30 September 2005, allowing another Dal Khalsa founding member,