NEW DELHI: The Indian Army had an alternative plan to Operation Bluestar, advocating use of Minimum force and laying emphasis on wearing out the entrenched Sikh extremists rather than storming the complex, says retired Lt-General S.K. Sinha, former Western Army Commander,
In his book “A Soldier Recalls,” to be released shortly, Gen Sinha who was superseded for the post of Army Chief in 1983 says his Western Army Command had realized in 1982 that a situation might develop in which the Army might be called in to enter the Golden Temple. Accordingly, a contingency plan had been worked out for conducting such an operation.
He said the earlier operational plan worked out, visualized a mixed force of Hindu and Sikh troops who were to be accompanied by two or more prominent Sikh gentlemen of the area not belonging to any political party to witness the action of troops. Gen Sinha said he had suggested the whole operation be filmed by a video camera.
The alternative operation plan, the General says provided that troops establish a very strong cordon around the Golden Temple complex and thereafter make repeated announcements on loudspeakers asking the extremists holed up inside to come out as they (the extremists) were violating the sanctity of the gurdwara.
He said it was an essential part of the plan to convey to the extremists that if the forces entered the temple, the blame for it would rest on the extremists. Gen Sinha says that according to instructions he had left, troops were not to be in a hurry to enter the gurdwara and extremists would be given maximum time and psychological pressure put on them by denying water and electricity.
The plan, the General said, visualized that simultaneously Akhand path would be organized outside by the regimental granthi praying that the whole operation would be completed peacefully without the troops having to resort to force. He said even if this did not succeed, the ultimate aim of the plan was for use minimum force, with storming troops taking off their shoes and covering their heads and entering shouting the famous Sikh war cry of “Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akal.”
After completing the operation, all the participating troops, irrespective of the religion they belonged to, were required toper form karsewa and offer special prayers. The General says the subsequent Operation Bluestar did not abide by the important principle of causing minimum alienation.
He said unfortunately the psychological aspect was not at all kept in mind as the day chosen for the operation happened to be the martyrdom of the fifth guru. Many pilgrims were trapped inside, the General says.
Gen Sinha said in the early “80s he had initiated moves in his command to counter propaganda Sikh soldiers might have been subjected to during his annual home leave. This was not kept up later resulting in the first ever low level rebellion in the ranks of the Indian Army.
He said as early as 1982 he had visualized the serious problems the Army was going to face and his efforts to discuss the Akali problems were not taken well by the then Defence Minister and later President R. Venkataraman who was also member of the Cabinet negotiating committee for talks with Akalis.
He said he had advocated to the then Defence Minister that Government should have conceded the demands of the Akali like recital of Gurbani on air, removal of cigarette shops from the vicinity of the temple complex and renaming the Flying Mail as the Golden Temple Express.
Gen Sinha said his asking Venkataraman for time for discussing the Akali issue had been scoffed by the latter saying Generals should not get involved in politics.
Another interesting episode narrated in the book is about the capture of the famous dacoit Sunder by the Army. The General came though he was captured by Army personnel in Jaipur, the Delhi Police took the credit for it.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 25, 1992
