Amritsar Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle by Mark Tully

Author:Mark Tully
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9788129109170
Publisher: Rupa
Published: 2001-02-05T06:57:25.347000+00:00

Indians, disgusted by the blatant misuse of office for personal profit by so many of their politicians, have a special respect for someone who forswears ambition. Mahatma Gandhi did, and so did Jayaprakash Narayan, or J.P., who led the movement against Mrs Gandhi before the Emergency.

Bhindranwale then returned to the theme of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. Reminding the congregation that Longowal had also sworn to accept nothing less than the fulfilment of all its demands, he warned: 'If any of our leaders accepts anything less than all the Anandpur Sahib demands, I will expose him in front of the sangat [congregation].'

Bhindranwale went on to appeal to Sikh villagers to organise and support terrorism. He said, 'For every village you should keep one motorcycle, three young baptised Sikhs and three revolvers. These are not meant for killing innocent people. For a Sikh to have arms and kill an innocent person is a serious sin. But, Khalsaji [members of the Khalsa], to have arms and not to get your legitimate rights is an even bigger sin. It is for you to decide how to use these arms. If you want to remove the shackles of your slavery you must have a plan.'

Bhindranwale also pleaded, 'I once again, with my hands folded at your feet, appeal to you – if you have not entered the Anandpur Sahib House, if you do not have the five 'k's (symbols of Sikhism), if you are not armed with a rifle and a spear, you will be given the beating of your lives by the Hindus.'

The sermon ended with the congregation shouting, 'Wahe Guruji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guruji ki Fateh' – 'The Khalsa belongs to the Lord – all victory is HIS!'

Bhindranwale's open support for violence eventually led to a protest from Longowal, who was, after all, still meant to be leading a non-violent agitation. He issued a statement to the press criticising Bhindranwale's call to arm young motorcyclists. But the next day one of the national news agencies carried a denial of Longowal's statement. In order to clarify the situation I asked Sanjeev Gaur, an Amritsar-based journalist, to go to the Morcha Dictator and ask him outright what he had said. Longowal wavered, but eventually he did agree that he had criticised Bhindranwale for encouraging Sikhs to support terrorism. One of Bhindranwale's spies in the Akali Dal camp immediately reported this conversation. Sanjeev Gaur was stabbed and seriously wounded as he left the Temple complex, and Longowal never again publicly criticised his rival.

Another incident which illustrated Longowal's unwillingness to exert his authority took place in January 1984 on India's Republic Day. A Khalistan (independent Sikh land) flag was flown from one of the buildings near the Golden Temple itself. To the end Longowal maintained that his Morcha was not an independence movement and that the Anandpur Sahib Resolution was not a demand for independence; but no action was taken about the Khalistan flag.

In fact on the very day that the Khalistan flag was flown the Akali Dal leadership issued a new demand.

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