Hating and Random Killing of Persons of a Particular Community; Instigating Communal Violence

Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale emphasized the uniqueness of the Sikh faith being founded upon its set of beliefs and practices, not upon hatred of any religion. He advised (14) everyone to be true in his or her own faith. Bhinderanwale did not consider Hindus to be 'close' to the Sikhs in their beliefs and practices. However, emphasizing the catholicity of the Sikh faith, he pointed out that Siri Guru Granth Sahib includes verses composed by some Hindu saints. Addressing the Hindus, he said (15):

"Who was Jaidev? Wasn't he a Hindu from amongst you? He was a Brahmin. Jaidev is sitting here in Guru Granth Sahib. If a son of a Sikh has made obeisance here he has done so at the feet of Jaidev, the Brahmin."

Answering his critics who depicted him as a Hindu-baiter, he said (16):

"I have no enmity with the Hindus as such. If I were their enemy, why would I rescue the daughter of a Hindu from Jalalabad (17)?

Citing another incident, he said (18):

"Kailash Chander owns a retail shop here. His shop was burnt down. The Retail Merchants Union asked him: 'Name Bhindranwale.' He refused. That Hindu, along with two Sikhs - the three of them - came to see me in my room. He came and started to cry. I asked him: 'what is the matter? Why are you crying?' He said: 'My shop has been burnt down.' I asked him what he wanted from me. He said: 'If you give me about a hundred rupees, it will give me the excuse for making a collection.' I gave him five hundred rupees."

Nayar states (19): "Bhindranwale asked Longowal to give a call to the Sikh masses to purchase motorcycles and revolvers to kill Hindus in Punjab." This accusation was based upon a public statement by Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, President, Shromani Akali Dal, and was part of the Akali campaign to defame Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Bhinderanwale took Longowal to task (20) for attributing to him something that he could never even dream of, namely, killing members of a certain community. He explained that he did not support killing of innocent people or destruction of temples and that Sikhs have been building temples for Hindus and not destroying them (21).

Indoctrination in the Ideology of Separatism

The Khalistan bogey was apparently a creation of the Indian Government and the extremist factions among the Punjabi Hindus. The Government alleged (22): "The obvious direction and thrust of the movement was towards an independent Khalistan - fully supported by neighboring and foreign powers. The terrorists led by Bhindranwale were perhaps only cogs in the wheel. If the army action had not been resolute and determined, the movement would have moved towards full scale insurgency which would have crippled the armed forces in any future confrontation across the borders."

Many Hindu writers joined in this chorus of wild and baseless accusations. According to Chopra (23): "It is argued that all this would end when shackles of slavery are broken. Bhindranwale never elaborated what he meant by this. An obvious connotation is the achievement of sovereign state."

Nayar claims (24) that Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale said "the next stage was to have a separate homeland, and for that the Sikhs must be ready to fight."

There is no corroboration available for these speculative statements. In fact, Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale repeatedly declared that he had no interest in political matters. He had not raised the slogan of Khalistan (25). The gurmat camps were not organized by him and the only ones he spoke to were those held within the Darbar Sahib complex. He asserted that the Sikh religion had an identity of its own and was not a sect within Hinduism. To misrepresent this as a demand for an independent state is mischievous propaganda. Repeatedly questioned regarding the demand for an independent state for Sikhs, he responded:

"I have given my opinion that we do not oppose Khalistan nor do we support it. We are quiet on the subject. This is our decision. We wish to live in Hindostan but as equal citizens, not as slaves. We are not going to live stuck under the chappals. We have to live in freedom and with the support of Kalghidhar. We wish to live in Hindostan itself. It is the Central Government's business to decide whether it wants to keep the turbaned people with it or not. We want to stay." (26)

And,

"How can a nation which has sacrificed so much for the freedom of the country want it fragmented but I shall definitely say that we are not in favor of Khalistan nor are we against it." (27)

There were persons, some of them close to Sant Bhindranwale (28), who supported an independent state. However, he himself had a neutral attitude. Sant Longowal is said to have confirmed that, as late as 5 June 1984 (29), Sant Bhindranwale refused to declare his support for an independent state. He did, however, declare (30):

"I wish to say this with firm conviction that this time when this place is attacked by the police, it will provide its own example to the world in that Khalistan will be created. Khalistan will certainly be created the day that the police come in here and wish to engage in some improper activity."

The above statement only expressed his conviction that the invasion would permanently alienate the Sikhs.

(14) Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale: Speech on 13 April 1984.
(15) Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale: Speech in early 1982 in Karnal.
(16) Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale: Speech on 20 September 1983
(17) A young Hindu had kidnapped Hukam Chand's daughter and he sought assistance in recovering the girl.
(18) Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale: Speech on 20 September 1983.
(19) Kuldip Nayar and Khushwant Singh: The Tragedy of Punjab, Vision Books, New Delhi, 1984, page 79.
(20) Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale: Speech on 19 April 1984.
(21) Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale: Speech on 16 October 1983
(22) M.M.K. Wali: The Army Action at Golden Temple, Note dated 13 June 1984, in The Fatal Miscalculation edited by Patwant Singh and Harji Malik, page 147.
(23) Surendra Chopra: Ethnicity, Revivalism and Politics in Punjab, in Political Dynamics and Crisis in Punjab, edited by Paul Brass and Surendra Chopra, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 1988, page 472.
(24) Kuldip Nayar and Khushwant Singh: Tragedy of Punjab, Vision Books, New Delhi, 1984, pages 71-72.
(25) For example: Bhindranwale pleads for IA hijackers, Indian Express, 5 January 1982.
(26) Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale: Speech on 19 July 1983.
(27) Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale: Speech on 11 May 1983.
(28) For example: Harminder Singh (Sandhu), interview with Harry Reasoner of CBS News 60 Minutes, May 1984.
(29) The day of the Indian army invasion of the Darbar Sahib complex.
(30) Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale: Speech on 27 March 1983.

Dr Ranbir Singh is the author of 'Struggle for Justice: Speeches and Conversations of Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale'.