Bhindranwale ‘tried To Escape, Died Under Debris’

[torontosikh]

Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090604/main6.htm

Amritsar, June 3

Former GOC, Panther Division, Major-Gen JS Jamwal (retd) has claimed the Army had the intelligence Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was trying to ‘escape’ heavy firing from his fortified position at Akal Takht on the last day of Operation Bluestar but died under falling debris due to artillery shelling.

Then Commander of the 15 Infantry Division, Major- Gen Jamwal, said according to his information, the Army was keen on capturing the militants alive but stiff resistance from them, who had fortified themselves around the Golden Temple complex, forced Army to immobilise them by using heavy weapons.

General Jamwal reiterated he was the Garrison Commander at Amritsar at that time but his views were not sought and added there were better alternatives, including cutting of water, power and food supply to flush out Bhindranwale and his followers, who had taken refuge in the building of Akal Takht. Such a step could have saved many lives besides protecting the sanctity of the holy shrine. He said Army commanders, supervising the operation, got panicky due to heavy casualties initially of commandos in the temple complex.

He said tactical planning was fraught with dangerous repercussions, which were aimed at dividing the countrymen. The nation paid heavy price and has yet to recover from the trauma.

According to sources, initially the then government at the Centre had assigned the task to the BSF and other paramilitary forces but their refusal to undertake the operation forced then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to order the Army to clear the shrine of anti-national elements.

He said Gandhi had summoned then Commander of Western Army Command, Lt Gen Sundarji, bypassing then Army chief, late Gen AS Vaidya. He said Operation Bluestar was botched up and lacked proper planning that had resulted collateral damage and huge loss of life. He said the local Army Garrison was not involved in planning and execution of the operation and was directed to move to the international border with Pakistan to restrain any misadventure the neighbour may undertake to take advantage of the country’s internal security problem.

Recalling the traumatic days during the operation, some of the eyewitnesses to the operation said after the initial attack by the Army’s elite para-commanders who became lame duck targets of militants resulting in heavy casualties, the senior Army commanders overseeing the operations were in for shock and sought the local Army commander’s support to break the impasse.

Major-Gen Jamwal said a senior Army officer and chief of the staff operations had requested him to spare some of his reserve forces for launching a final attack on the Golden Temple to secure its release from the militants. He said the last two days turned out to be more crucial and the reserve platoons managed to break the stranglehold and free the shrine for its captors.

[Pakachumar]

MOD Edited

[wjkk wjkf]

lol ok mate...25 years later and punjabi's are still getting picked up n killed in fake encounters...that your idea of freedom yeh?

[mAhA_pApI]

what they mean free our gurdwara...n they wana free from who....?."THEMSELF".. lol... some people just never learn....

[lodi_my_dodi]

Article is such B**L <banned word filter activated>!

[AK47 JATHA LION]

Major-Gen JS Jamwal is quite old now. He retired a while ago.

His old age is causing him problems...

Especially if he has dreams 25 years later about what happened in 1984.

We all know how few people lose their mind with old age and begin rambling nonsense.

Does he even know what day of the week it is? lol

Pathetic attempts to weaken the sikh spirit, deliberately reported on at the EXACT 25 year anniversary of the attack, to the very day. There will be many more attempts to weaken the sikh spirit. They will try to shake our faith and belief. They will launch campaigns aimed at demoralising sikhs. Take no notice of these news articles. Instead put our focus on Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

[Guest confusingh]

Every Guru ka Singh knows Sant Jarnail Singh earned shaheedi in bluestar, he was no coward, and never showed any sign of backing away when the going got tough... contrary to several organisations and jathas who discredit Sant Jarnail Singh's shaheedi, the question needs to be put forward, if a person does never indicate a quality of fear in their whole life through the Dharma Yudh Morcha and several other campaigns to help Sikhi prosper, what makes these people believe Bhindranwale would try to escape, was he not brave... because if thats what these people are trying to imply then I suggest they look back at his life and point out one instance where fear was shown, they won't be able to find one!

These lies need to stop, how is a son to feel if their father has laid down his life for the Panth and is not granted Shaheedi or was apparently trying to escape, I had the honour to speak to Bhai Sahib Bhai Isher Singh when in India and his father was made shaheed in the inhumane operation bluestar he also said that Shaheedi was an honour for his father and he did not fear it ever within his life... Fact of it is, people are actually trying to discredit the honour, courage and honesty Sant Jarnail Singh possessed, its difficult for the govt. to deal with such a brave character of the panth, but they need to face facts a hundred or so Singhs held off the Indian Army who had to use unequal resources as their only means to attack the Singhs, without tanks and choppers the army would have been there for days, so if they were real men and courageous as our Shaheed Singhs then they would have firstly met in grounds of no civilians and never stepped foot in to Sri Harmandir Sahib Ji secondly, then why the need for the second largest army in the world to take on a hundred odd Singhs...

The truthful and courageous die by their word, Sant ji always said he would lay his life down if anybody was to attack Sri Harmandir Sahib Ji.... Stuck to his word and died on the grounds of Sri Harmandir Sahib Ji... in my eyes an incredibly honourable and admirable shaheedi and I salute everything the great man stood for!

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[satpunga singh]

interesting...

[lodi_my_dodi]

Every Guru ka Singh knows Sant Jarnail Singh earned shaheedi in bluestar, he was no coward, and never showed any sign of backing away when the going got tough...

Thats your personal belief NOT evry Guru Ka Singhs!

[Guest confusingh]

Every Guru ka Singh knows Sant Jarnail Singh earned shaheedi in bluestar, he was no coward, and never showed any sign of backing away when the going got tough...

Thats your personal belief NOT evry Guru Ka Singhs!

I'm not getting in to this... but I believe its highly disrespectful to his family and his honour to think otherwise.

What I meant was every... logical, reasoned, well informed and sensible Guru Ka Singh.