Kids Corner

Above: Within days after the occupying Indian forces retreated, the Sikh sangat began the reconstruction of the Akal Takht, brick by brick, through kaar seva.

1984

1984 Woke Me Up From A Deep Slumber

INNI KAUR

 

 

 

Thirty years have gone by since the world’s fourth largest army marched into Darbar Sahib (The Golden Temple), Amritsar in June 1984.

They called it Operation Blue Star.

I think we do ourselves a disservice by remembering it as Operation Blue Star. It was the name they gave to their misdeed to hide its monstrosity.

We know Darbar Sahib was not the only place that was attacked. 37 other gurdwaras were also simultaneously hit. And then there was what they so cleverly named Operation Woodrose.

This was a massive, well-planned and well-executed onslaught.

This was an assault on Sikhs.

This was a move to crush the Sikh psyche.

This was intended to teach Sikhs a lesson.

This was The 1984 Holocaust. The Third Ghallughara. The Third Battle of Amritsar.

To some extent we all know what transpired, so I won’t go into those details.

But are we really sure what happened?

We know there was a total media blackout. All media, the pliant locals and the independent foreigners, they were all forced out of Punjab.

We also know that the Indian media was controlled by the Government. Their propaganda was relentless, and the narrative therefore was one-sided. The perpetrators of this genocide did a wonderful job in controlling what they wanted the world to know. They did it quite successfully.

But that is not I want to talk to you about today.

This genocide touched the hearts and mind of Sikhs living across continents. I have met many individuals whose lives changed drastically after 1984.

Today, I want to share a story about a 27 year old Sikh girl living in the United States. By all accounts, she was a Sikh, but I would call her a cultural Sikh - for she knew little of her faith.

But

When boots marched into Darbar Sahib

When tanks cannoned the sacred walls

When fires destroyed precious heritage

When the sarovor turned red

She woke up …

And reclaimed her identity.

I am the girl in this story.

Sitting thousands of miles away, I felt every bullet. I experienced a deep, personal loss.

Puzzled and confused by my own reactions, I turned within.

Why such pain?

After all, I was only a cultural Sikh.

Or was I?

Something within me had shifted. I woke up from a deep slumber.

I stopped cutting my hair and began to wear the karra.

And my journey began.

I delved into Sikh history. Before long, it became my history. I realized we’ve always been hunted; we’ve always had a price on our heads.

Why?

What is that they fear?

For my history tells me, we’ve never fought for territory.

We were no crusaders.

So why was there a price on a Sikh’s head?

I struggled for answers.

None made sense.

A thought occurred.

Maybe they fear what the Guru envisions.

A society of sovereign, azaad – totally free people. Free economically, politically and spiritually.

The Guru’s vision of a society:

Where no one is a slave

Where no one is exploited

Where no one is excluded from the bounty and joys of the Creator.

But for those who live off the slavery of others, who benefit from exploitation, they want to kill that spirit, that consciousness, that memory - the memory of the Gift that the Guru has bestowed.

Think about it. How does one control the masses?

By dividing them at every level -- caste, gender, politically, economically and spiritually.

But a united Panth – a One Panth as envisioned by the Guru -- poses a formidable challenge to their greed and subjugation methods.

A Panth immersed in Naam, is an entity to deal with.

For

Naam is a living breathing Force.

Naam awakens.

Naam provides clear direction.

Naam is simran in action.

Naam demands action.

Guru’s Naam is active. It is not the Naam of the yogis who sit on mountain tops, observing inequalities.

Guru’s Naam invites us to “Play the game of life with Love.” It instils courage to rise against injustice.

Maybe that was the reason why there was a price on the head of a Sikh, and maybe there is a price on my head too.

During the 1980 period, every Amritdhari, nay, every Sikh, was considered a terrorist and therefore targeted. There are no accurate reports on how many innocent Sikhs -- men, women and children -- were executed during this period. Charred bodies of Sikhs are still being discovered in shallow pits.

But we’ve seen this happen before: 25,000-30,000 Sikhs were killed in the First Gallughara and 7,000 + were killed in the Second Ghallughara.

But, we’re still here, stronger than before.

Our enemies have tried their best to silence us.

Guess what?

Our voices have gotten stronger … much to their dismay.

We are still here - stronger and firmer than before.

I often get asked the question, what should I do? I am just one individual.

To tell you the truth, I don’t know.

Each one of us is wired differently, therefore our responses are different.

What I can suggest is:

Know your history, your heritage. Don’t go by just one account, search and find answers for yourself. Connect the links and dots.

Secondly, get to know the Guru. Establish a relationship. This is how you will become mentally strong, totally free and absolutely inspired.

And when you reach this state of mind, your responses will be Guru-oriented. You’ll fear none, and begin to march to a different tune, for your inspiration comes from the Guru.

The Guru clears all doubts. And when doubts are cleared, your purpose, your mission will crystalize. Your responses will be closer to vision of the Gurus of One Panth – a formidable force.

Darbar Sahib is the heart beat of every Sikh. It took the blood, sweat and tears of multiple generations of Sikhs to build it, to defend it to build it, and when destroyed by the enemy, to rebuild it.

Every generation of Sikhs will to do same.

You now know my story.

I am a product of 1984.

It has shaped my life.

It has shaped my identity.

There is a saying, that time is a great healer. And to a certain extent the saying is right.

The once intense pain is now a dull ache. Self-reflections have taken place.

My personal reflection: I am more determined than ever to keep the memory of those that were massacred in 1984 alive. They did not die in vain! Their memory lives in me, through me …

1984 is in my DNA.

I will not forget.

With Gurus’ Grace, I have learnt to accept.

But Forget 1984? Never.

My question to you --

Has the genocide of 1984 changed you?

If so, what have you done?

Reflect.

Remember, this happened to us.

We are one – One Panth.

What happens to one - happens to all.

In this unity lies our strength and this is what creates fear in the minds of those who thrive on oppressing and subjugating others.

We fear none, and none should fear us. But whenever there is injustice, we will rise – for that is our commitment to the Guru.



June 2, 2014
 

Conversation about this article

1: Parminder Kaur (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA), June 02, 2014, 12:57 PM.

Inni Kaur, thanks for sharing your perspective! We have all been changed for the better. To become better Sikhs. To imbibe the teachings of the Gurus, to live the life of a true Sikh. To live in HIS BHANA and do ardaas for sarbat da bhalla!

2: Sunny Grewal (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada), June 02, 2014, 1:11 PM.

I remember the first time I had learned about 1984. I was a highschool student and, curious, I typed the word "Sikh" into YouTube. On the first page there were videos about the pogroms in Delhi. Before I watched these videos I had no clue that these events had happened a mere 20 years earlier, that these events had happened very shortly before I was born. Growing up, I had read many books on the Jewish holocaust, I was amazed at the brutality with which human beings could treat one another. I remember at the age of 12 finishing an emotionally exhausting book about the eyewitness accounts of Jews who lived through Germany and those who had survived the concentration camps. I still to this day recall the thought that went through my head once I finished the last page, "Thank god my people have not experienced such hardship". This thought came back into my head like a lightning bolt years later as I sat in front of my computer and saw videos of charred bodies on the open streets of Delhi, the destruction of the Akal Takht and the lifeless eyes of those who had escaped the mobs. Similarly to the author, these images invoked something inside of me and caused me to direct my passion of history and reading towards Sikh history. I learned that the Sikhs have always been the target of governments and jealous of majority communities offended by the Sikh way of life, which has given our people so much prosperity, the highest of human values, and a beautiful and unique culture. Most importantly, I know that if my people could survive the Mughals, Afghans and British, the Hindus do not stand a chance.

3: Bhai Harbans Lal (Dallas, Texas, USA), June 02, 2014, 1:55 PM.

Inni Kaur, I support your proposal that we remember 1984 not as Operation Blue Star but as The 1984 Sikh Holocaust. Agreed. However, in Sikh history, it was the Fourth Ghallughara, the Partition of Punjab being the Third Ghllughara, when Sikhs lost their homeland, their birth places, historical places, shrines, land of the Gurus and most of their worldly possessions. Nearly a million Sikhs lost their lives.

4: Kaala Singh (Punjab), June 02, 2014, 3:17 PM.

1947 happened in our parents' generation. Our elders would tell us the horrific stories of Peshawar and Rawalpindi. Our generation saw 1984. The same old stories about incompetent leadership and failure to see what was coming. Had we learnt the lessons of 1947, 1984 would not have happened. Now, if we fail to learn the lessons of 1984, we will have nobody else to blame if something like this happens again. We must know that we are on our own, that nobody else will come to help us. We should be united and strong, otherwise our foe might be tempted to play another mischief.

5: N Singh (Canada), June 02, 2014, 4:22 PM.

Ensaaf has released this video called "A Witness Among the Bodies: Surviving Bluestar" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wcPTG9PqZ0&feature=youtu.be. It is an eye-witness account. I urge everyone to see it so we can truly understand what happened. It puts the lie to the Indian Government propaganda that they did not attack women and children.

6: Ek Ong Kaar Kaur (Espanola, New Mexico, USA), June 02, 2014, 5:04 PM.

Inni Kaur - thank you for your strength and your heart. You were awakened, and your life helps others to awaken as well. Out of the darkest moments, the brightest lights can rise. Bless you for sharing your story.

7: Kanwal Prakash Singh (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA), June 03, 2014, 10:17 AM.

The unconscionable events of 1984 and the decade that followed will remain forever as one of the darkest chapters, not just for the Sikhs or in the history of India, but as an outrage against our shared humanity and because of when and where it occurred. This is a continuing and reoccurring nightmare, not just for the members of Sikh faith who were terrorized and thousands fell victim to an organized and unchecked genocide in their own country and their sacred hallowed places and priceless heritage that belongs to all humanity were desecrated and destroyed, but because of the very trust and soul of the brave defenders of India and other people of conscience was mortally injured, agonized, and shattered. The Sikh world was jolted out of its complacent slumber and now must remain awake. We can witness that out of this deep anguish and devastating initial shock is now emerging a new generation with tireless commitment among the Sikh Diaspora, the followers of Guru Nanak-Guru Gobind Singh, to search for ways to dispel the darkness of our apathy and anger; work toward educating ourselves and dispel the unfounded stereotyping about the Sikh faith, culture, history, and community; raise our voices and engage in a peaceful righteous fight against outrages wherever they may occur. Above all, in spirit and with moral commitment and accountability: immortalize the lessons and commandments of the Sikh faith, not by shouting from rooftops but by our acts of generosity; by being the best ambassador of what is right, just, and uplifting for the human spirit. Much like the Jewish people, that we must keep the memory of 1984 alive for future generations, not as an anchor of hate, anger, or despair, but as a living light and inspiration for positive endeavor. That will be a fitting tribute to those who were denied the chance to fulfill their dreams, and to a faith with a proud legacy and legends of martyrs that understood the power of prayer, righteous labor, sacrifice, and serving humanity. The world is watching and learning, and in time and in the end, the emancipating Truth must and always will prevail.

8: N Singh (Canada), June 03, 2014, 7:11 PM.

From BBC New Online: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-27585500 -- How Punjab's missing thousands are being forgotten.

9: H. Kaur (Canada), June 04, 2014, 2:19 AM.

I remember 1984. I was in high school. I remember the coverage wasn't as clear as it now is, with claims that the Indian army had to go in to get a group of 'terrorists' wanting a separate Sikh state. There was actually mention of Sikh farmers wanting to strike, etc. and Mrs. Gandhi maybe attacking to stop that, even mention one time that dozens of other gurdwaras had been attacked. I think it is up to those of us who remember to speak out against the big lie that is echoed throughout the globe now, by all media sources in the world, it seems, parroting what the Indian propaganda churns out. It is our job not to just mention the Golden Temple but the other historical gurdwaras attacked too, both in and out of Punjab. It is our job to mention the other army operations (roundups of religious Sikhs) right after Indira's butchering of the Sikh sangat at all these gurdwaras on a day when they were packed, being a high holiday. It is our job not to let the monolithic lie of India go unchallenged everywhere. Tell as many people as you can. Tell all your friends, Sikhs and non-Sikhs. Start with that. I'm sure Indira never would have imagined that even decades later people would still awaken to their roots because of her atrocities against Sikhs. It shows how little she knew Sikhs. We are a people who stand up twice a day and remember the sacrifices of the Sikhs who gave all for Sikhi. The blood of Sikhs is what waters the plant that is Sikhi. The more they kill, the more it grows.

10: H. Kaur (Canada), June 04, 2014, 3:40 AM.

I just glanced over an article called "Lessons from Punjab's Missing Girls" by M.K. Sarkaria in a Berkely magazine. At first of course one thinks, hm-m, interesting, Punjab being pointed out again for something going on everywhere else too in. What I found interesting is how this person mentioned that 41 Gurdwaras were attacked and up to 8000 people, pilgrims mostly being killed. It also speaks of farmers threatening to strike and Indira Gandhi sending in a hundred thousand troops. Just reminded me of some coverage on news channels back in 1984. Among other things, the author actually argues that all these Sikh young men who got killed created more of a demand for male children too as families were left destitute without male breadwinners. Perhaps, but the larger problem is that Sikhs have forgotten themselves, that they are prohibited from the Hindu practice of female infanticide -- a clear commandment from Guru Gobind Singh.

11: Sunny Grewal (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada), June 04, 2014, 3:57 AM.

@9: I think that the Indian government misunderstood how completely different Sikhs are from other Indians. The Hindus do not have a concept of shaheedi, it is one of the reasons why they have easily forgotten that they were on the receiving end of the sword for a thousand years. Remembering and honoring the dead, especially those who were robbed of their lives, cannot take root in a religious culture which is ultimately exploitative of its own adherents. Muslims in India have also shown that they retain some of their Hindu DNA. Pogroms and riots did not start in 1984, organized but made-to-appear sporadic violence has always broken out between Hindus and Muslims in independent India. Many incidents have been minor, however, there have been large conflicts, usually with Muslims being on the receiving end. The massacre in Gujarat is consistently cited as it was covered by the media. Gujarat however has become a symbol for left wing Hindus, not Muslims. Muzaffarnagar is more typical of the violence that has been directed towards Muslims. Similarly, the event was not enough to draw Indian Muslims out of their apathy. Muslims seem meek in their approach to justice and do not seek it out, they simply wait for the next violent incident to happen against their community. Ahmad Shah Abdali targeted the Harmandar Sahib a few times but stopped once he realized that his attacks on the complex became a rallying cry for Sikhs. If the Indians had an iota of intelligence, they would have realized how idiotic it would be to target a community which has a history of weaving atrocities committed upon it into its narrative. Hindus however still don't understand why Sikhs have not forgotten about 1984. They scratch their heads like apes wondering what all the fuss is about.

12: Paramjit Singh Kohli (London, United Kingdom), June 04, 2014, 10:26 AM.

Excellent write-up to awake some of us who are still slumbering. Bravo for a wake-up call to unite and be respected in a true Sikhi stance.

13: Sunny Grewal (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada), June 04, 2014, 12:06 PM.

@10: I really question the argument that the author in that particular article was making. Looking at the argument logically, it would be the families effected by state terrorism that would try to replenish the breadwinners in the family. Many of the young men who were murdered by the state were in their late teens and older. This means that the parents were at a mature age as well. Many parents however did not have more children to fill the void of their missing sons. These parents wasted many years hoping that their sons would return. I read an article in the Tribune a few weeks ago about an elderly couple who still have hope that their son went abroad during the troubles; he most likely was murdered by the state. There are lots of parents in Punjab who were robbed of their only child who was a male and whom did not try to have more children. It just doesn't make any sense that this group of people could have any meaningful impact on the skewed demographic ratio in Punjab even if they did try to have more children and resorted to foeticide.

14: Kaala Singh (Punjab), June 04, 2014, 5:51 PM.

Sikhs need to do a lot more research and analysis into the reasons that caused 1984, to see things in their proper perspective. According to one view, the Congress Govt at that time thought they could play with the smallest minority to stay in power and not have to pay a political, military, diplomatic or other cost which was not the case with Muslims as they have greater numbers and had the support of 60 oil rich Muslim countries. One can imagine the diplomatic and economic cost had they done this to Muslims. Sometime back when similar large scale attacks on Christians happened in Orissa, the US and Europe came out openly in their support of Christians and the attacks were stopped immediately. So, Sikhs were the obvious target as Sikhs had no international support due to the false propaganda being done against them. Hence, the power drunk rulers in Delhi thought they could easily crush the small Sikh minority and then silence them. June 1984 was to show the brainwashed Indian population that the Congress protected the "unity and integrity" of the country by attacking those who wanted secession so that they would stay in power forever. Nov 1984 was to terrorize and intimidate Sikhs into silence and not speak the inconvenient truth. Both these plans backfired, the Sikhs not only fought back but also started telling the world what had happened. The Indian state could never imagine that Sikhs were capable of this and ultimately had to come to the negotiating table to sign a peace accord. A few things come out of this if we do not want a repeat of 1984. 1) The Sikhs must have a strong media presence in the international community to counter false propaganda. 2) The Sikhs in India and Punjab in particular must be united and strong economically, socially and politically and in every other sense. 3) We must not be perceived as weak and hence easy targets. Once our foes realize that messing with us will involve a price, 1984 will not be repeated.

15: Angad Singh (Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.), June 04, 2014, 6:51 PM.

Fine sentiments are expressed in this article. The interesting aspect of 1984 is that much of its political capital is being realized by young Sikhs born abroad, some of whom do not speak Punjabi and some of whom were born before 1984. For them, 1984 is a spiritual wound, not a living nightmare like it is for those women living in the Widows Colony who have lost every male relative and are the last of their family name. For the Sikhs who lived through the invasion of the Darbar Sahib and its aftermath, the quest for justice continues. For those Sikhs that did not, the struggle for justice is just as a much a struggle for visibility within the mainstream culture. This is a common phenomenon amongst all first generation minorities: they undertake the social struggles of their elders as means of connecting with their culture which might be distant due to geographic and language gaps. So on the days that mark 30 years since 1984, we should recognize that the discourse is as much about social justice as it is about cultural identity. Through struggle we understand who we are. By "struggle" I don't just mean getting bullied at school, which is traumatizing in its own way: I mean the struggle against utter physical and psychic annihilation. Tragedies should be honored. The "model minorities" would have us believe we should move past them in order to facilitate assimilation and acquiesce to cultural hegemony; essentially, to get in where we fit in. The community action spurred on by this year's memorial of the 1984 Outrage has proudly declared the future does not belong to those "model minorities." It belongs to those who fight for recognition of the past as a means of safeguarding our destiny as a distinct people. To put it bluntly, inside every tragedy lies an opportunity. I am proud to see young Sikhs seizing it.

16: N Singh (Canada), June 05, 2014, 11:43 AM.

@15: Yes, totally correct. The same thing happened with the Jewish community. My understanding, after having spoken to Holocaust survivors, is that for the longest time they were under pressure not to speak, no one was interested and no one wanted to hear or deal with the painful past, especially the host communities. Even in Israel there was a sense of humiliation, of asking the question why did they not fight back, how could this have happened? It was left for the subsequent generations to deal with the Holocaust and to bring it to the public eye. Despite the Nuremberg trials, it has been the predominately affluent Jewish American diaspora that has kept this issue alive, and ensured that it is not forgotten. As they say, "Never Again!" Likewise, it is up to the Sikh diaspora to take up the baton for those Sikhs in India who are unable to speak for themselves through fear of persecution, or whatever. Never forget 1984!

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