'𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫': 𝐀 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡, 𝐀𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐡𝐫𝐮, 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐯 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐢, 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐣𝐞𝐞, 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐯 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐢 𝐈𝐧 𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐢 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡

'𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫': 𝐀 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡, 𝐀𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐡𝐫𝐮, 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐯 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐢, 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐣𝐞𝐞, 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐯 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐢 𝐈𝐧 𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐢 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟: 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡

In 1984, militancy in Punjab was at its peak. I had just come into journalism at that time and was involved in research work on topics like terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir. My parents, Lajjaya Devi and Jaswant Rai ji, were very concerned about my safety and well-being. I had a passion to do something spectacular in journalism, which I still have! At one press briefing, I was introduced to Rajiv Gandhi, Congress General Secretary. Subsequently I had several meetings with Rajiv Gandhi. He was impressed by my knowledge of political analysis and intellectual calibre. Rajiv Gandhi told Captain Satish Sharma and Mani Shankar Aiyyer, "whatever suggestions Neelam writes, please put them on my table". Occasionally, Captain Satish Sharma used to meet me. Several veteran journalists envied my proximity to Rajiv Gandhi.

Well, after an indepth study, I gave a detailed report to the Prime Minister's Office on the terrorist activities in the Golden Temple. Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale (Brar) interacted with a group of journalists in 1984. To begin with, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had given encouragement to Bhindranwale; so as to create a rift amongst different groups of the Sikhs! Later Bhindranwale became her bete'noir. 'Operation Bluestar', was the mastermind of a 'trio led by Rajiv Gandhi', who persuaded Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to militarily attack the Golden Temple. Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale had taken refuge here and was demanding 'Khalistan' from inside the Gurdwara premises. 'Operation Bluestar' has completed 39 years, yet 'Sikhi' has not forgotten this religious misdemeanor and trauma. 

It is a fact that military action was apparently not under consideration of P. M. Indira Gandhi. Rather it was the idea of ​​her son Rajiv Gandhi, nephew Arun Nehru and Rajiv's buddie Arun Singh. Arun Singh along with Rajiv, studied at The Doon School, Dehradun. Arun Singh, now 80 years old, was with Dettol's, Rickett and Coleman. In 1971, Arun Singh was with Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge University. Arun Singh hails from Kapurthala royalty. What do they know about military diplomacy and politics?Was Operation Bluestar undertaken with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections of 1984? 

This claim was reported in 'The Caravan' magazine; in a news story; 'The Shattered Dome'. In several reports written by the magazine's political editor, Hartosh Singh Bal, journalist Kuldeep Nayyar quoted; Indira Gandhi's former private secretary R.K. Dhawan. Arun Singh believed that a successful military operation against the guerrilla extremist leader, Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, could "enable Congress to win the election in 984".The dismal story of Operation Bluestar, it now appears, was the result of such a disastrous conclusion. 

The largest political mandate in Indian history, after the assassination of Rajiv's mother Indira Gandhi, was achieved by Rajiv Gandhi in 1984. Operation Bluestar was not Indira Gandhi's last fight; this was Rajiv's first disastrous mistake. Indira Gandhi had apparently approved Operation Bluestar reluctantly, at the behest of this trio; Arun Nehru, Arun Singh and Rajiv Gandhi who adhered to a selfcentric, disastrous persistence by General Krishnaswamy Sunderjee.

Immediately Indira Gandhi expressed her regret on Operation Bluestar. When Indira Gandhi saw the pictures of destruction of Akal Takht and the damage done to the Sanctum Santorum of Golden Temple, she was terrified. She got a flak from Sikh community throughout the world. She realized the political tragedy in this historical blunder! According to reports, she was deeply hurt by the footage of the Golden Temple, the arrow had been shot! Video footage and images were brought by Arun Singh. “Arun Singh was there, Rajiv was there, Arun Nehru was also there. Indira Gandhi was opposed to army's action till the last moment," R. K. Dhawan, Indira Gandhi's secretary, was quoted as saying. 

She changed her mind after General Sunderjee persuaded this trio. Rajiv's involvement in Punjab's affairs, leading to 'Operation Bluestar' was directed by Arun Singh, Rajiv Gandhi and Arun Nehru. It was only then that he began to directly handle political affairs of Punjab. "Most of the dialogues with the Akalis was done under Rajiv's supervision, in conjunction with Arun Nehru and Arun Singh". This corroborates with Dhawan's claims, when Kuldeep Nayyar had a meeting with Arun Nehru in London. Kuldip Nayyar was then the Indian High Commissioner to U.K. in 1990. Kuldip Nayyar, Inder Malhotra, Arun Shourie, N. Ram, all senior journalists asked, "who has taken the decision to implement Operation Bluestar"? Arun Nehru said; "Aunty Indira was very much against it. Rajiv and Arun Singh were in favour". Arun Singh himself is from a Sikh family. Gen. Krishnaswamy Sunderjee, Gen. Arun S. Vaidya and Gen. Kuldeep Singh Brar made a historic blunder by militarily invading the Golden Temple. Arun Singh was shooting from Rajiv's shoulders. It is worth remembering that it was Arun Singh and General K. Sundarjee who exaggerated the military techniques of 'Operation Bluestar', which they presented to Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. At that time, according to my information, all three were working in tangent. Arun Nehru, Arun Singh and Rajiv Gandhi; were on the same thought process and used to share everything. Till date, three generations of Sikhs have not forgotten the military invasion on the Golden Temple. Arun Nehru died, General Krishnaswamy Sundarjee died, General Arun Vaidya was murdered in Pune, General K. S. Brar was attempted to be killed by Sikh youth in London, but he survived.

Indira Gandhi's own security personnel, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, fired 36 bullets on her, at Safdarjung Road residence on 31st October 1984. She died on the spot. Satwant Singh and Beant Singh were gunned down. LTTE's human bomb 'Bhanu' blasted Rajiv Gandhi in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu; where he had gone to address an election meeting to campaign for Margrathem Chandrashekhar, against the advice of intelligence agencies. His body was ashed to pieces by the human bomb'! The politics of Punjab is different than other parts of India's states. Any political party should implement their decisions related to Punjab with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Peace and prosperity in Punjab should be the mantra of the central government. By the way, progress, peace, stability and development of all the states should be the symbol of Indiannes

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡

(𝐒𝐫. 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭, 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭)

singhnofficial@gmail.com