Advertisement
X

A Blundered Operation, The Slaying Of A Prime Minister...

It starts with stray strikes,then assumes dangerous proportions as Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale takes on the Indian state demanding Khalistan. The AK-47 spurts terror, as bus massacres and killings multiply. In border areas, a militant mood prevails.

The Golden Temple becomes the key terrorist hideout. Operation Bluestar follows in June 1984. A controversial mis -sion,it deeply hurts the Sikh psyche. The army suffers heavy casualties. The Akal Takht is damaged badly in the operation. The fallout will be catastrophic.

October 30,1984:Indira tells a rally in Orissa,"Even if I die in the service of the nation, every drop of my blood will contribute to its growth ...." Next morning, as she walks from her residence to her office for a TV inter -view with Peter Ustinov, she is riddled with 18 bullets by her security guards,Beant and Satwant Singh. Rajiv enters the public consciousness,via national telecasts,with his dignified demeanour at the funeral.

Show comments
US