Extract from Punjab Human Rights Organization Report
The operation Black Thunder II (May 9-18, 1988) and Afghanistan are a far cry from each other. Ostensibly the two have nothing in common. Yet the fact appears to be that the operation has a lot to do with Moscow’s plan to pull out its troops from Afghanistan.
The first indication of the working of the Government of India’s mind on Afghan-Punjab tie up came from Union Energy Minister, Vasant Sathe, known to be Rajiv Gandhi’s “think tank,” when addressing a public meeting at Hussainiwala on March 23, 1988, he “warned of the crisis deepening in Punjab after settlement of the Afghan issue” (Indian Express: March 24, 1988). Mr. Sathe added that “the danger was that Pakistan would divert its forces from the Afghanistan border to the Indian border and would do the mischief to divide India with the help of its agents.” The Union Minister in this connection recalled India’s support to the creation of Bangladesh and said the Pakistan had not forgotten its loss in the east.
Mr. Sathe said Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi wanted peace in Punjab. He took the initiative towards that direction by releasing (Bhai Jasbir Singh and other) head priests.
Rajiv’s Political Bulldozers
Elaborating, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi asserted that his government was working “in a planned way to solve the Punjab tangle” and events were shaping as envisaged. Operation Black Thunder II, he said, was not a random – exercise but was a part of the “plan”. Addressing a Press conference at Delhi soon after his arrival from an eight- day tour abroad, the Prime Minister said: “If necessary, bulldozers will be pressed into service — both political and diesel-operated bulldozers to complete the Golden Temple corridor plan” (Indian Express: June 13, 1988).
“They were not heeding Rode”
Prem Bhatia, a pro-establishment journalist of Delhi, told B.B.C. soon after the operation: “terrorists did not heed even Ragis and Rodes. Unless irritants (terrorists)
