Page 49 - PSLgurmatbook62020

Lesson 17: Operation Blue Star and

Jaswant Singh Khalra

(Written in Collaboration with Navkiran Kaur Khalra)

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Operation Blue Star of June 6 , 1984 was the darkest incident of
independent India. It has been referred to as the Sikh Holocaust or

‘Teeja Ghallughara’. An estimated ten thousand people never
returned to claim their shoes from the entrance of Darbar Sahib
and the exact number of civilian deaths still remains unknown. Many

Gurudwara in Punjab were attacked and valuable Sikh manuscripts
and historical documents were destroyed.

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Jaswant Singh Khalra was born on November 2 , 1952 in Khalra. He
attended college at Beerh Baba Budha Sahib, not too far from home.

During his college, he got involved in student unions and organized
rallies and protests for fair treatment of students. Later he was
actively involved in forming worker unions all across Punjab.

Khalra got married to Paramjit Kaur in 1981 and they moved to
Amritsar. They had two children. Jaswant Singh Khalra witnessed
the 1984 incidents first hand and was deeply moved by the human

rights violations committed by the state. President Rule was
enforced; that meant police had unlimited power. Their actions
would not be questioned. All they had to say was that this person is

suspect of terrorism. Unfortunately, many cruel and murderous
police officers were Sikhs themselves. KPS Gill was on the top rank.

Khalra quit his job because he couldn’t work for the government
that was working against its own people. He traveled to England in

1989. He was granted political asylum because he was an activist and
his life was in danger in India. But he returned to Amritsar in 1992
and started working as a bank director. He also joined Human Rights
Wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal. He heard reports of disappearance
of Sikhs every day, especially in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts.

His team started documenting atrocities being committed against

Sikh History and Gurmat Sikhia Book 6 2020 Edition Page 47