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First Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
History Today: When India's Operation Blue Star began at Amritsar's Golden Temple
On June 1, 1984, the Indian Army launched Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple on orders from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The operation targeted militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was pushing for an independent Sikh-majority nation in Punjab, known as Khalistan. The first exchange of gunfire during the assault took place on this day. Also on this day in 1980, Cable News Network (CNN), the world's first 24-hour television news channel, was launched by Ted Turner read more The first gunfire exchange in the assault on the Golden Temple occurred on June 1, 1984. Image: X/@SoniaLiberal On June 1, 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave the order for 'Operation Blue Star' at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab. The aim of the mission was to remove militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Over 80 soldiers and at least hundreds of pilgrims caught in the fighting lost their lives, according to government officials. At the time, Bhindranwale was a key leader in the rising separatist Khalistan movement. The anger within parts of the Sikh community over the operation reached its peak on October 31, 1984, when Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards, who held her responsible for the attack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also on this day in 1974, the stop-choking method created by Cincinnati surgeon Henry J. Heimlich was published. Known as the Heimlich manoeuvre, it involves applying inward and upward pressure on the abdomen of choking individuals and has become the standard lifesaving technique. Further, in 1980, CNN (Cable News Network), the world's first 24-hour news channel, was launched. The network began broadcasting from its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, with a lead story about the attempted assassination of civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today , is your one-stop destination to explore key events. Let's take a look at the events: The launch of Operation Blue Star The Indian Army launched Operation Blue Star on June 1, 1984, following orders from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The operation took place at the Golden Temple, targeting militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. He was once the leader of the Sikh seminary Damdami Taksal and a key figure in the Khalistan separatist movement. He had taken refuge in the Harmandir Sahib Complex. Bhindranwale sought to create an independent Sikh-majority country in Punjab called Khalistan. On May 3, Major General RS Brar was called to Punjab and given command of the operation, which was code-named Operation Blue Star. The Golden Temple complex suffered extensive damage. AFP/File Photo The first gunfire exchange in the assault on the Golden Temple occurred on June 1, 1984. On June 2, speaking on All India Radio, Gandhi urged: 'don't shed blood, shed hatred,' while the military surrounded the Golden Temple complex and more than 40 other gurdwaras across Punjab. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On June 3, a 36-hour curfew was imposed in Punjab. All communication and public transport were halted, electricity lines were cut, and strict media censorship was enforced. The army began the main assault on the night of June 5. The initial goal was to neutralise the high defensive positions Bhindranwale's men had built inside the Golden Temple complex. The army believed the operation could not succeed if those positions remained. After midnight on June 6, a full-scale attack took place, including heavy gunfire and tank shells that destroyed the Akal Takht. The next day, Bhindranwale's body was found in the basement of the damaged Akal Takht, bearing multiple bullet wounds, though the exact cause of death is unclear. The Golden Temple complex suffered extensive damage. Apart from the Akal Takht, there were bullet holes in the temple, and a valuable Sikh library, along with its books, was lost to fire. The operation's impact spread beyond the immediate casualties. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The aftermath of the operation saw then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. AFP/File Photo The deep anger felt by parts of the Sikh community over the operation reached its most tragic point on October 31, 1984, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards, who held her responsible for the attack. Heimlich maneuver was published On this day in 1974, Cincinnati surgeon Henry J. Heimlich's stop-choking technique was published in the medical journal 'Emergency Medicine'. The Heimlich maneuver, which involves pressing inward and upward on the abdomen of someone who is choking, became the standard way to save lives. June 1 is now observed each year as National Heimlich Maneuver Day. Wikimedia Commons Heimlich shared his early findings in an essay titled 'Pop Goes the Cafe Coronary,' published in the June 1974 issue of the journal. The term 'Cafe Coronary syndrome' describes a situation where a person chokes while eating in a restaurant, and onlookers mistake it for a heart attack. Before Heimlich's technique, the usual medical response was a tracheostomy, which involves inserting a large needle into the windpipe to open an airway, a procedure only doctors could perform. Heimlich tested the method on four Beagle dogs, repeating the treatment over 20 times on each. The dogs responded well, which gave Heimlich confidence that the same method would help humans with blocked airways. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Over the next fifty years, the technique saved tens of thousands of lives. June 1 is now observed each year as National Heimlich Maneuver Day. CNN was launched On June 1, 1980, CNN (Cable News Network), the world's first 24-hour television news channel, was launched. The network began broadcasting from its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, with a lead story about the attempted assassination of civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. CNN changed the idea that news was only shown at set times during the day. CNN eventually became known for covering live events worldwide. Wikimedia Commons At the time, TV news in the US was dominated by three major networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC, each with a 30-minute nightly news broadcast. CNN was created by Robert 'Ted' Turner, a bold and outspoken businessman nicknamed the 'Mouth of the South.' In its early years, CNN lost money and was mocked as the Chicken Noodle Network. However, it eventually became known for covering live events worldwide as they happened, often ahead of the major networks. This Day, That Year 1926: American actress and model Marilyn Monroe was born. 1968: Helen Keller, the renowned writer and lecturer, passed away. 2001: Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shot and killed nine members of the Nepalese royal family, including his parents, King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, before injuring himself. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 2001: World Milk Day is celebrated worldwide after the United Nations declared it in 2001 to promote the importance of milk as a global food. 2009: An Air France flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris went into freefall and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people on board.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Despite hawkish rhetoric, Punjab backed India-Pak ceasefire, peace efforts
Jalandhar: When the central govt and BJP appeared to be working hard to convince their support base about the ceasefire agreed upon by the govt, in Punjab — where the saffron party is a fourth player — the idea of a ceasefire was readily welcomed. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Unlike a few other states, where sentiment for war appeared strong, in Punjab, an atmosphere of apprehension about the fallout of escalation on the border was prevailing, and there were anti-war voices as well. Only a few spoke out unequivocally against war when escalation started fearing negative reactions, but the ceasefire was largely welcomed in the state. BJP has been finding it hard to boost its footprint in the only Sikh-majority state in the country, as the community has remained apprehensive of the saffron party. However, the unequivocal support for the Centre's decision to accept the ceasefire came from Sikh quarters. From the national parties, only Congress MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi was the first to speak out against war during the escalation. He gave a call to the people to oppose war. The Patiala MP took this stand, using strong adjectives in Punjabi, when Congress MP Manish Tewari strongly argued for an "endgame," India's planning for the permanent extinction of "this artificial state of play in existence since 1947, irrespective of the cost in terms of blood and treasure. " The Chandigarh-based Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha, which had hosted Tewari before Lok Sabha polls, strongly criticised him for his "Hindutva hawkish approach." Former MP and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann, BKU (Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan, and his associates also strongly opposed escalation and war. Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, on May 7, while condemning the killing of civilians in Poonch in shelling by Pakistan, said that the govts of both countries should make sincere efforts to restore peace. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On May 9, he led a group of Sikhs to perform ardas (prayer) at Takht Kesgarh Sahib for peace in South Asia, and then on May 10, he welcomed the ceasefire, just after it was announced, and said that the region needed peace and communal harmony. "People of Punjab stood with Indian armed forces firmly, although they suffered due to complete blackouts and debris of destroyed drones and missiles. The ceasefire has brought a big relief. People of Punjab now should force all political parties of Punjab to support the ceasefire, irrespective of the stand of their national leadership," argued senior advocate H S Phoolka in his post on X on May 11, when pro-ceasefire voices were still feeble. Leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also welcomed the ceasefire. There were other voices in the Punjabi social media space who welcomed the Narendra Modi govt's decision to agree to the ceasefire. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on May 13 praised the PM for his "statesmanlike conduct in accepting Pakistan's entreaty for a ceasefire following a decisive victory, which saved Punjab from destruction". He also said that Congress and AAP, who were questioning the ceasefire, were the real enemies of Punjab and the nation.
