Tuesday May 25th
100,000 Indian
Army troops are mobilised and deployed throughout Panjaab surrounding all important Gurdwaaraas including the Golden Temple
complex.
Friday June 1st
Thousands of pilgrims
start to gather at the Golden Temple complex to celebrate the martyrdom anniversary of Guroo Arjan Daev Jee on June 3rd.
As Sant Bhindranwale sits on the roof of the Langer
hall, police snipers open fire on him. They missed and Sikhs from Bhindranwale Tiger Force fired back. A seven hour skirmish
during the night lasting until the morning leaves 11 dead and 25 injured. There were bullet holes in the Langer building,
in the marble pavement (parkarma) surrounding the Golden Temple and in the Golden Temple itself.
Sunday June 3rd
All communications
including phone lines to and from Panjaab are cut. Road blocks prevent anyone from entering or leaving Panjaab and all journalists
are expelled from Panjaab. A total curfew is imposed and as many as 10,000 pilgrims are trapped inside the temple complex.
Milk vendors from the villages who supply milk to the
city of Amritsar are shot dead for violating the curfew orders.
Monday June 4th
The army starts
firing on the temple complex and their is a gun battle lasting 5 hours. Using machine guns and mortars the army fires at the
Singhs who were positioned on top of the two 18th century towers called Ramgarhia Bunga's, and the water tank
behind Teja Singh Samundri Hall as well as surrounding buildings. At least 100 are killed on both sides.
Tuesday June 5th
At 7:00 p.m.
The invasion of The Golden Temple begins with tanks of the 16th Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army moving to enclose the
Golden Temple complex. Troops are briefed not to use their guns against the Golden Temple itself or the Akaal Takhat. Artillery
is used to blast off the tops of the Ramgarhia Bungas and the water tank. Scores of buildings in and around the temple complex
are blazing. One artillery shell lands more than 5 km away in the crowded city.
In the narrow alley behind the Akaal Takhat paramilitary
commandos try to get into the temple. Some make it to the roof but are turned back due to the heavy gunfire. Meanwhile tanks
move into the square in front of the northern entrance to the Golden Temple known as the clock tower entrance.
At 10:30 pm commandos from the 1st Battalion, the Parachute
Regiment try to run down the steps under the clock tower onto the marble parkarma around the sacred pool. They face heavy
gunfire, suffering casualties and are forced to retreat. A second wave of commandos manage to neutralise the machine gun posts
on either side of the steps and get down to the parkarma.
The Akaal Takhat is heavily fortified with sandbags
and brick gun emplacements in its windows and arches. From here and the surrounding buildings the Singhs are able to
fire at any commandos who make their way in front of the Gurdwaaraa.
Two companies of the 7th Garhwal Rifles enter the temple
complex from the opposite side on the southern gate entrance and after a gun battle are able to establish a position on the
roof of the Temple library. They are reinforced by two companies of the 15th Kumaons. Repeated unsuccessful attempts are made
to storm the Akaal Takhat.
Wednesday June 6th
After midnight
tanks are used to break down the steps leading to the parkarmaa from the hostel side and an 8-wheeled Polish-built armored
personnel carrier makes it's way towards the Akaal Takhat. It is destroyed by a Chinese-made rocket propelled grenade launcher.
Six or more Vijayanta tanks enter the temple complex
crushing the delicate marble inlays of the parkarmaa and plow their way towards the Akaal Takhat. Orders arrive and the tanks
start firing their large 105mm cannons equipped with high explosive squash-head shells into the Akaal Takhat. These shells
are designed for hard targets like armour and fortifications. When the shells hits a target, their heads spread or squash
on the hard surface. Their fuses are arranged to allow a short delay between the impact and the shells igniting, so that a
shock-wave passes through the target and a heavy slab of armour or masonry is forced away from the inside of the target armour
or fortification.
The effect on the Akaal Takhat, the most sacred of the
five Takhats, is devastating. Over 80 shells are pumped into the sacred Gurdwaaraa. The entire front of the Takhat is destroyed
and fires break out in many of the different rooms blackening the marble walls and wrecking the delicate decorations dating
back to the time of Mahaaraajaa Ranjeet Singh. Marble inlays, plaster and mirror work, filigree partitions and priceless old
wall paintings are all destroyed.
The gold dome of the Akaal Takhat is also badly damaged
by artillery fire. At one stage a 3.7 inch Howell gun is mounted on the roof of a building behind the shrine and fired a number
of times at the beautiful dome.
At the other end of the Temple complex on the easternmost
side a battalion of the Kumaon Regiment were invading the hostel complex where many of the innocent pilgrims were in hiding
as well as the temple administration staff. There was no water because the water tower had been destroyed and it was very
hot.
(Bhan Singh, Secretary of S.G.P.C.)
"They
cut our electricity and water supplies. It was very hot in the rooms. There was no water. We had only two plastic buckets
of water. Longowal had to place two people as guards over the buckets. Many people would squeeze their undershirts to drink
their sweat to quench their thirst."
Around 1:00 am the Army entered the hostel and administrative
buildings and ordered everyone out and made them sit in the courtyard of the Guroo Raam Daas Hostel. There were about 250
people who came out.
(Bhan Singh)
"Suddenly there was a
big explosion. All hell broke loose. It was pitch dark. People started running back into the verandah and the rooms. I and
Abhinashi Singh were sitting next to Gurcharan Singh, the former Secretary of the Akali Dal whom Bhindranwale said murdered
Sodhi. (In a speech Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale told the sangat that Gurcharn Singh Tohra had ordered Surinder Singh Jee
Sodhi to be killed). Gurcharan was shot as he tried to run inside. We realised that soldiers were shooting at us. They thought
someone from among the crowd had exploded the grenade. But it was probably thrown by Bhindranwale's men on the water
tank overlooking the Guroo Raam Daas Serai (Hostel). We ran to Tohra's room and told Longowal what was happening. Longowal
came out and shouted at the Major. He said, 'Don't shoot these people. They are not with Bhindranwale. They are employees
of the S.G.P.C.' The Major then ordered his men to stop shooting. Later in the morning we counted at least seventy dead bodies
in the compound. There were women and children too."
(Karnail Kaur, mother of 3 young children)
"When
people begged for water some soldiers told them to drink the mixture of blood and urine on the ground."
Many of the young men in the group of innocent unarmed
civilians were then shot by the soldiers.
(Bhan Singh)
"I saw about 35 or 36
Sikhs lined up with their hands raised above their heads. And the major was about to order them to be shot. When I asked him
for medical help, he got into a rage, tore my turban off my head, and ordered his men to shoot me. I turned back and fled,
jumping over the bodies of the dead and injured, and saving my life crawling along the walls. I got to the room where Tohra
and Longowal were sitting and told them what I had seen. Sardar Karnail Singh Nag, who had followed me, also narrated what
he had seen, as well as the killing of 35 to 36 young Sikhs by cannon fire. All of these young men were villagers."
By morning light, there is only sporadic sniper fire from the rubble of the Akaal Takhat. By late afternoon
the army was firmly in control of the Temple complex and curfew was lifted for two hours to allow people who were still in
hiding to come out.
(Giaanee Pooran Singh)
"I went to
the Harmandar Saahib (Golden Temple) on 5th June around 7:30 in the evening because I had to ensure that religious ceremonies
were performed. The moment I stepped on to the parkarmaa I stumbled across a body. Bullets were flying and I had to take shelter
behind each and every pillar to reach the Darshanee Deoree. Another body was lying there. I ran a few yards and reached the
Akaal Takhat. Night prayers start at Harmandar Saahib five minutes after they start at the Akaal Takhat. I wanted to find
out if the paath (recitation) had started there. I had a glimpse of Sant Bhindranwale. He reassuringly nodded to me.
Around 7:45 I came out of the Akaal Takhat and ran into the Darshanee Deoree. I ran towards Harmandar Saahib, unmindful of
the bullets flying past my ears. I began night prayers. Soon a colleague of mine, Giaanee Mohan Singh, joined me. Seeing the
intensity of the fire we decided to close all the doors, barring the front door. Soon we completed all religious rites. We
then took Guroo Granth Saahib Jee to the top room to prevent any damage to Maahaaraaj. The Head Priest, Giaanee Saahib Singh,
had given clear instructions that under no circumstances was Guroo Jee to be taken to the Akaal Takhat if the conditions
were not right.
Looking through the window-pane from
the first floor of the Harmandar Saahib, I saw a tank standing on the parkarmaa with its lights on. I thought for a moment
that it was the fire brigade come to collect water from the sarovar (holy pool) to put out the fire which was raging in almost
every room. A few minutes later my belief was shattered when I saw the vehicle emitting fire instead of putting it out. By
10:30 or so around 13 tanks had collected on the parkarmaa. They had come after crushing the staircase from the eastern wing
where Guroo Raam Daas Serai, the Langer and the Teja Singh Samundari Hall are situated. One after another the cannon fire
lit the sky. When the first shell hit the bottom of the Darshanee Deoree, creating a hole in it, I saw the room with the historic
chandnee (canopy) presented by Mahaaraajaa Ranjeet Singh catching fire. One after another the big bombs hit the Darshanee
Deoree in quick succession, and what was once a lovely building was now on fire. The Toshakhana (Treasury) was also on fire.
Occasionally a bullet would hit the Harmandar Saahib. We were 27 people inside, mostly raagee's (singers) and saevaadaars
(temple servants).
In the early hours of the morning of
6th June we took Guroo Jee down and performed the religious rites that are performed every day, like maahaaraaj
daa prakaash and reciting hymns from the scriptures. The two side-doors were closed and the front and back doors were open.
Bullets kept hitting the wall both inside and outside, ripping off the gold surface at various places. Soon after we finished
reciting prayers one of our colleagues, Raagee Avtaar Singh was hit. We pulled him into a corner. Another bullet came and
hit the Saahib Sree Guroo Granth Saahib Jee. We have preserved this copy.
In the meanwhile the pounding of the
Akaal Takhat was continuing. There was no let-up in the fire in other places either. We were thirsty and desperate for water.
We crawled to the holy pool to get water for ourselves and for the wounded colleague.
Around 5pm they announced on loudspeakers
that those hiding in the Harmandar Saahib should come out and that they would not be shot dead. While myself and Giaanee Mohan
Singh remained inside, others walked out with the arms above their heads, unfortunatly they were shot."
Over 300 bullet holes were counted in the Golden Temple
itself.
With the lifting of the curfew innocent Sikhs thought
that by coming out from hiding they would now be safe. Sadly this was not the case.
Outside the Temple complex the army troops were on a
brutal rampage, killing and looting surrounding houses of Sikhs.
(Subhash Kirpekar, Journalist)
"On
the way back to the hotel (afternoon of June 6th) I witnessed a scene at the Kotwali which is blood curdling. This is where
some soldiers were kicking some of the 11 suspected Sikh followers of Sant Bhindranwale as they knelt on their bare
knees and crawled on the hot road surface."
(Giaanee Chet Singh)
"The people were
taken out of their houses. Men's hands were tied with their turbans. Women's necks were sought to be asphyxiated with their
plaits. Then they were shot in the chests. No quarter was shown to women, aged or children; in the eyes of the troops every
Sikh was a terrorist. Those who survived died of thirst. Their houses were ransacked, and then put on fire. The area surrounding
Darbaar Saahib (Golden Temple) was full of debris. What happened is beyond description of sight, hearing or words."
As night fell the Army troops were given the order to
storm the remains of the Akaal Takhat and shoot on site anyone they found inside. The troops encounter little resistance and
find dead bodies and the smell of death everywhere.
Thursday June 7th
In the early
hours of the morning the troops discover the bodies of Bhaaee Amreek Singh Jee and close friends of Sant Jarnail Singh Jee in
the basement and infront of the Akaal Takhat.
The day was spent in clean up operations flushing out
any remaining snipers and collecting the dead bodies. Soldiers were openly walking about the temple in their shoes, drinking
alcohol as well as smoking. Blood and bodies were strewn all over the broken marble of the parkarma. With putrefying corpses
floating in the sacred pool of nectar and the smell of death everywhere.
The Darshanee Deoree the entrance gate of the Golden
Temple which houses many priceless treasures was destroyed and looted. Although fighting had now died down, the central library
complex was mysteriously burned down. Many priceless manuscripts, some in the Guroos own handwriting were lost forever.
The number of people who lost their lives will never
be known. The Army refused to let the Red Cross enter the complex and cremated the dead before the bodies could be identified
or claimed by their families. The Amritsar municipal sweepers refused to clear the dead bodies away but were eventually persuaded
by offers of rum and being allowed to strip the bodies of all valuables. They piled the dead into garbage trucks and unceremoniously
cremated them. Family members were not allowed by the army to claim the remains or perform any traditional funeral rites.
It is clear that thousands lost their lives in the Temple complex.
Elsewhere across Panjaab hundreds of Sikhs were killed
in the army operation at the same time which saw 42 Gurdwaaraas raided at the same time as the Golden Temple, including high
casualties at Mogaa, Mukatsar, Fareedkot, Patiaalaa, Ropar and Chowk Mehta, where the headquaters of Damdami Taksal are based.
Aftermath
Kaar Saevaa is the ceremonial
cleaning of the sacred pool is normally undertaken every 50 years. A special Kaar Saeva was undertaken in 1985 to replace
some of the damage. Tens of thousands of Sikhs participated and the sacred pool of nectar was completely drained and cleaned.
Restoration
work has taken 15 years to complete.The Akaal Takhat has been entirely rebuilt after the attack Indira Gandhi ordered her
men to rebuild the Akaal Takhat, the Sikhs felt this was an insult and tore down the Akaal Takhat and rebuilt it themselves
through Guroo Kaa Saevaa. The marble of the parkarmaa has been replaced in sections with new marble. Repair work on Harmandar
Saahib included reguilding the temple dome and walls with new gold. The Ramgharia Bungas have been repaired and Teja Singh
Samundri Hall and Manjee Saahib Divaan Hall, where Sant Jarnail Singh Jee gave most of his speeches have been left, pockmarked
with bullet holes as a reminder of the tragedy. | 
