The enigma of Bhindranwale

SEVENTEEN years after Operation Bluestar, a controversy has arisen in Punjab over whether Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the early icon of the pro-Khalistan insurgency, is indeed dead. While the Damdami Taksal, the seminary Bhindranwale headed at the time of the operation, insists that he is in 'high spirit', eight radical organisations working under the name of Shaheed Jarnail Singh and the Ghallughara Yaadgar Committee declared him a martyr at the Akal Takht on June 6 after performing a religious service in his name.

The Yadgaar Committee says it has taken up the issue now because things have come full circle in Punjab. "Punjab is now peaceful. Hence we have garnered the courage to raise this controversial topic," said the chief spokesperson of the Dal Khalsa, Kunwar Pal Singh. The Dal Khalsa is a constituent of the Yadgaar Committee, along with the Akal Federation, the Sikh Students Federation, the Sikh League, the International Human Rights Organisation, the Human Rights and the Democracy Forum, the Punjab Human Rights Organisation and the World Sikh Council.

However, the latter seven groups are not convinced about the Committee's motive. Summing up the views of the majority of the State officials, a political leader said: "The lie that Bhindranwale is still alive does not pay dividends anymore. Bhindranwale is fast losing his appeal in Punjab. Hence these radical organisations have decided to declare him dead so that they can take up the cause of Khalistan afresh."

Interestingly, the Damdami Taksal has refused to declare Bhindranwale a martyr. It continues to maintain that he is in hiding, waiting for an appropriate time to re-emerge. This, even when Bhindranwale's family members, including his son Ishwar Singh, admit that he is dead. Bhindranwale's family has supported the Yadgaar Committee's stand in declaring him a martyr.

According to informed sources, the Taksal refuses to admit that Bhindranwale is dead because of the factionalism in its ranks. The sources cite five members of the Taksal - Moukham Singh, Ajaib Singh, Deedar Singh, Satbir Singh and Malkiat Singh - who are caught in the controversy. "Moukam and Ajaib Singh head the disgruntled group and agree that Bhindranwale is dead. They have been pressuring the Taksal to declare him dead. Others are with the Jathedar of the Damdami Taksal, Baba Thakur Singh, and maintain that Bhindranwale is alive," these sources said. Thakur Singh does not want to admit that Bhindranwale is dead because for the past 17 years he has been maintaining otherwise.

However, in the face of overwhelming evidence that Bhindranwale died in Operation Bluestar, few people believe the Taksal's story. The Taksal's stand got a severe beating when Apar Singh Bajwa, who was Deputy Superintendent of Police in 1984, confirmed Bhindranwale's death. Bajwa said that as a part of his official duty he had met Bhindranwale several times. After the operation, Army officials had asked him to identify the body of Bhindranwale, which bore an injury on the right side of the face. Bhindranwale had bled profusely from the abdomen. Bajwa said that the Army allowed him to cover the body of Bhindranwale and pour ghee on it. Curfew was enforced in the district when Bhindranwale's cremation took place.

Backed by such revelations, the Yadgaar Committee held prayers for Bhindranwale. However, the Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Joginder Singh Vedanti, while allowing them to hold prayers on the basis that he could not close the doors of the Golden Temple, did not endorse their declaration. Vedanti is said to be working at the dictates of Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal. "Badal will not displease the BJP by declaring Bhindranwale a martyr. So he will try and maintain the status quo," informed sources said.

Given the ferocity of the debate, on June 5 Vedanti directed Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) chief Jagdev Singh Talwandi to constitute a committee to look into the controversy. The Yadgaar Committee is, however, confident that by next year it will be able to make the SGPC declare Bhindranwale a martyr.

Whether this would help consolidate peace in Punjab is to be seen. The local units of the Shiv Sena and the Hindu Suraksha Samiti (HSS) had planned to burn an effigy of Bhindranwale. "We rolled back our plan as the SGPC did not declare him a martyr. He was a criminal of the worst kind. If the SGPC declares him a martyr, we will protest strongly," said Harish Sharma of the HSS. Given such a reaction, the controversy over Bhindranwale would lead to much antagonism.