Sant Bhindranwale had told his confidants that he would signal his death to alert them whenever the final moment arrived. He asked one of his confidants to join him in roaring his last jakara. He further told the same person (since passed away) that, should no one be able to reach near him, this person must nevertheless sound a loud jakara of Raj Kare Ga Khalsa and Panth Ki Jeet. Of course, Sant was warned that it might not be feasible when time came.

This confidant did see, though from a distance, a shot in the air by Sant Bhindranwale, which he took to be a signal of Sant's last moments. This was after the Army had broadcasted on the loudspeakers asking all the occupants of Akal Takhat to come out and surrender. Some of those inside Akal Takhat did come out, including Bhai Fauja Singh's sister-in-law, but Sant Bhindranwale was not among them. Bhai Fauja Singh's wife was one of those who were martyred in that attack.

Then the army employed tear gas in attempt to force out the occupants of Akal Takhat. It included the cellar under the main building where Sant Bhindranwale was spending his last hours. Sant was forced out by the tear gas.

Immediately after coming out of the cellar, the Sant shot his gun in the air and, possibly, shouted his jakara. The army wasted no time and shot him in the leg. Sant Bhindranwale was now lying on the ground wounded but not yet dead. A high official of the Army told me that Sant's body soon disappeared, which led him to believe that Sant was hauled away for interrogation and a possible torture. A friend of mine who talked to those who might know told me that actually Sant Bhindranwale dragged himself back into the cellar of the Akal Takht with some one's help. None would ever know what actually had happened until the army disclosed its record.

In a few hours after he was wounded in front of the Akal Takhat, Sant Bhinderanwale's body reappeared. This time he was dead and was left near an entrance where it stayed for a couple of days. He was wounded but his arm that was blown up earlier was not shown to those summoned for his identification.

Sardar Bhan Singh told me that he was summoned from his detention by an Army official on June 5 and was escorted to Sant Bhinderanwale's body for identification. At the same time he was asked to make a list of rare articles that were customary to be there in the deori sahib tosha khanna before the attack.

Sardar Bhan Singh was the General Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee during the time of 1984 Sikh Holocaust. We were very close colleagues as both of us had served as the President of the All India Sikh Students' Federation. Soon after the army attack, I visited India to see Bhan Singh and learn first hand about the atrocities committed on the Sikh people during the 1984 Holocaust. When I shared my plans with some one working with the freedom fighters of the time, I was warned not to be seen with Bhan Singh, as he was one of those targeted for elimination. Now we all know that Bhan Singh was actually eliminated but he was not worried then.

When I went to Amritsar, he was away to Anandpur Sahib. I sent a word that I was in India and would like to see him. I also told him about the warning that he was on the terrorists' list. When I met him he laughed and said, Bhai Sahib, as he used to call me showing his affection, if you while sitting thousands of miles away can come to know of the conspiracy to kill me, don't you realize that I knew that also? However, he said, he was not worried.

Bhan Singh told me that he was set up as a liaison person between the occupying forces of the government and the Sikh Nation who was under attack. He could not insult his community by going to the same Government of India to ask for protection. He would bear the consequences. He did advise me not to ask him to go with me anywhere in the He also advised me not to visit the side of Teja Singh Sumandri Hall and certainly not the area of Manji Sahib. Now we all know what his advice actually meant.

When he reached where Sant Bhinderanwale's body was kept, Bhan Singh was asked to identify the body and he did. Bhan Singh then asked for permission to perform the last rites saying that the Sant was a holy man, which called for a ritualistic last rite. The request was denied except that he and an army officer were allowed to give Sant Bhinderanwale's body the last bath using buckets of water fetched from the holy tank of Sri Darbar Sahib. Sardar Bhan said a silent prayer then and sent for clean white sheets to wrap the body. The person who provided the sheets and the one who delivered them are known but it is not known if the sheets were used.

The press description of the cremation is known to all and need not be repeated here. In the martyrdom of Sant Bhindranwale the Sikh Nation lost a hero.

Dr. (Bhai) Harbans Lal is a distinguished Pharmacologist and a recognised scholar of Sikhism. Professor Lal has been published in all the major Sikh journals. His present interests lie in promoting Sikh Studies in North America.