Chronology of Events
Tuesday, May 25th
100.000 Indian Army troops are mobilized and deployed throughout the Punjab environment all important Gurdwara including the Golden Temple complex.
Friday, June 1st
Thousands of pilgrims start to gather at the Golden Temple complex to celebrate the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev on June 3rd.
As Bhindranwale sits on the roof of the Langer hall, police snipers open fire on him. They missed Sikhs and fired back.
A seven hour skirmish during the night lasting until the morning leaves 11 dead and 25 injured. There were bullet holes in the building Langer, in the marble pavement (parkarma) surrounding the Golden Temple and in the Golden Temple itself.
Sunday, June 3rd
All communications including phone lines to and from Punjab are cut. Road blocks prevent anyone from entering or leaving Punjab and all journalists are expelled from Punjab. A total curfew is imposed and as many as 10.000 pilgrims are trapped inside the temple complex.
Milk vendors from the villages who supply milk to the city of Amritsar are shot dead for violating the curfew orders.
Monday, June 4th
The army starts firing on the temple complex and their is a gun battle lasting 5 hours. Using machine guns and mortars the Sikh army fires at two positions at the 18th century towers called Ramgarhia Bunga's, and the water tank behind Teja Singh Samundri Hall as well as surrounding buildings. At least 100 are killed on both sides.
Tuesday, June 5th
At 7:00 pm Operation Blue Star, the invasion of The Golden Temple begins with tanks of the 16th Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army included moving to the Golden Temple complex. Troops are briefed not to use their guns against the Golden Temple itself or the Akal Takht. Artillery is used to blast off the top of the Ramgarhia Bungis and the water tank. Scores of buildings in and around the complex are Blazing Temple. One artillery shell Länder more than 5 km in the crowded city.
In the narrow alley behind the Akal Takht paramilitary commands to try to get into the temple. Some make it to the roof but are turned back due to the heavy gunfire. Meanwhile tanks move into the square in front of the northern entrance to the Golden Temple known as the clock tower entrance.
At 10:30 pm commands from the 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment try to run down the steps under the clock tower onto the marble parkarma around the sacred pool. They face heavy gunfire, Casualties suffering and are forced to retreat. A second wave of commands Neutralizer to manage the machine gun posts on either side of the steps and get down to the parkarma.
The Akal Takht is heavily fortified with your gun and Sandbag sites in their windows and arches. From here the surrounding buildings and the militants are able to fire at any command who make their way in front of the Gurdwara.
Two companies of the 7th Garhwal Rifles enter the temple complex from the opposite side on the southern entrance gate and after a gun battle are able to establish a position on the roof of the Temple library. They are reinforced by two companies of the 15th Kumaon. Repeated unsuccessful attempts are made to the storm Akal Takht.
Wednesday June 6th
After midnight tanks are used to break down the steps leading to the hostel parkarma from the side and an 8-wheel built-mantra Polish personnel carrier makes it's way towards the Akal Takht. It is destroyed by a Chinese-made rocket propelled grenade launcher.
Six or more Vijayanta tanks enter the temple complex crushing the delicate marble inlays of the parkarma and plow their way towards the Akal Takht. Orders and the tanks will start firing their 105mm cannons equipped with large high-explosive squash-head shells into the Akal Takht. These shells are designed for hard targets like armor and fortifications. When the shell hits a target, their heads spread or squash on the hard surface. Their fuses are arranged to allow a delay between the short and the impact of shells igniting, so that a shock-wave-pass through the target and a heavy slab of armor or Masonry is forced away from the inside of the target armor or fortress.
The effect on the Akal Takht, the most sacred of the five Takht,
Devastating is. Over 80 shells are pumped into the sacred Gurdwara. The entire front of the Takht is destroyed and fires break out in many of the different rooms Blackening the marble walls and Wrecking the delicate decorations dating back to the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Marble inlays, plaster and mirror work, Filigree partitions and priceless old wall paintings are all destroyed.
The gold dome of the Akal Takht is so badly damaged by artillery fire. At one stage a 3 / 7 inch Howell gun is mounted on the roof of a building behind the shrine and fired a number of times at the beautiful dome.
At the other end of the Temple complex on the easternmost side has Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment were invading the hostel complex where many of the innocent pilgrims were in hiding as well as the staff temple administration. There was no water because the water tower had been destroyed and it was very hot.
(Bhan Singh, Secretary of S.G.P.C.)
"They cut our electricity and water supplies. It was very hot in the rooms. There was no water. We had only two plastic buckets of water. Longowal had to place two people as guards over the buckets. Many people would squeeze to their under-Shirt to drink their sweat quenching their thirst. "
Around 1:00 am the Army entered the hostel and administrative buildings and ordered everyone out and made them sit in the courtyard of the Guru Ram Hostel. There were about 250 people who came out.
As night fell the Army troops were given the order to storm the remains of the Akal Takht and shoot on site anyone they found inside. The troops encounter little resistance and find dead bodies and the smell of death everywhere.
Thursday June 7th
In the early hours of the morning the troops discover the bodies of what was thought to be Sant Bhindranwale and his closest followers in the basement of the Akal Takht.
The day was spent in clean up operations flushing out any remaining Sniper and collecting the dead bodies. Soldiers were openly walking about the temple in their shoes, drinking alcohol as well as smoking. Blood and bodies were strewn all over the broken marble of the parkarma. With putrefying corpses floating in the sacred pool of nectar and the smell of death everywhere.
The Darshan Deora the entrance gate of the Golden Temple which houses many priceless treasures was destroyed and Looted. Although fighting had now died down, the central library complex was mysteriously burned down. Many priceless manuscripts, some in the Gurus own handwriting were lost forever.
The number of people who lost their lives will never be known. The Army refused to let the Red Cross enter the complex and the cremated before the dead bodies could be identified or claimed by their families. The Amritsar Municipal Sweepers refused to clear away the dead bodies but were eventually Persuaded by offers of rum and being allowed to strip the bodies of all valuables. They piled the dead into garbage trucks and unceremoniously cremated them. Family members were not allowed by the army to claim the remains or perform any traditional funeral rites. It is clear that thousands lost their lives in the Temple complex.
Elsewhere across hundreds Punjab Sikhs were killed in the army operation at the same time which saw 42 Gurdwara raided at the same time as the Golden Temple, including high Casualties at Moga, Mukatsar, Faridkot, Patiala, Ropar and Chowk Mehta.
Aftermath
Kar Seva is the ceremonial cleaning of the sacred pool is normally undertaken every 50 years. A special Kar Seva was undertaken in 1985 to replace some of the damage. Tens of thousands of Sikhs participated and the sacred pool of nectar was completely drained and cleaned.
Restoration work has taken 15 years to complete. The Akal Takht has been entirely rebuilt. The marble of the parkarma has been replaced with new sections in marble. Repair work on Harmand Sahib reguilding included the temple dome and walls with new gold. The Ramgharia Bungis have been repaired and Teja Singh Samundri Hall has been left, pockmarked with bullet holes as a reminder of the tragedy.
What was one of the darkest chapters of Sikh history, reminiscent of the persecution the Sikhs faced at the hands of the Mughal has acted like a Lightening rod for all Sikhs. It should not be viewed as a cause of incitement of hatred, but rather as a jolting reminder to Sikhs that they can not take the existence of their religion for granted. As caretaker of the Sikh religion, it is up to Sikhs to participate actively and make sure that the message of the Gurus and the Sikh religion Survives and grows, overcoming any and all adversity.
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