Dissatisfied with Hinduism and Islam, Guru Nanak (1469-1539)[4] had founded the Sikh religion in his quest for a doctrine egalitarian according to his conception.[5] He wrote: “Make Love thy mosque, Sincerity thy prayer-carpet, Justice thy Koran, Modesty thy circumcision, Courtesy thy kaaba, Truth thy guru, Charity thy creed and prayer…”[6] By the time of the sixth Guru, who started the habit of wearing two swords (piri and miri) representing the spiritual and worldly authority, militancy was institutionalized in it.[7] Sikh males are generally recognized by their colourful turbans and beards. Their other distinguishing marks are a comb in the hair, a dagger, a steel bracelet and short outer pants. Collectively, they are known as the “five Ks”, for the first letter of the Punjabi word for each of them. They have “Singh” (lion) as a middle or a family name, but Singh is also a common Hindu name. The females take the word “Kaur”, which means “princess”.

Agriculture was no longer ale to absorb the growing populace, and people were forced to search for employment elsewhere. The central authority in New Delhi, which misused Article 356 of the Constitution to topple the democratically elected local governments, further disenchanted the Punjabi people. The Akalis, who were entrusted with the mandate to administer after no less than four elections (1967, 1969, 1977, 1985) resorted to agitation only in 1980 when their government was toppled for the third time. The opposition parties became active only after thousands of people were jailed.

Sant (Saint) Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala(e),[22]who was also arrested and then released and thus became  a martyr and also a charismatic leader in the eyes of the Sikh youth, publicly advocated violence.[23] When those whose names appeared in the hit lists printed in newspapers were actually assassinated, some Hinds of Punjab started migrating to other states. Not only were several Nirankaris murdered, but the proprietor of the Samachar group of newspapers was also killed, and an Indian Airlines Boeing was hijacked (1981).[24]

The diffusion of violence in the fertile and the strategically important state of Punjab gave Pakistan a chance to influence events. Many Indians believed, at that time, that some Pakistanis harboured a “K-2” (Kashmir-khalistan) plan. Pakistan’s support of the Punjabi terrorists in providing sanctuaries, operational bases weapons and training facilities would promote Hindu-Sikh alienation, keep the Sword of Damocles hanging over India's head, discredit that country’s secular credentials, and keep its security forces tied down within its borders. When that neighboring state, now a local ally of the United States in support of the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, was ready to pass on weapons into Punjab, as well as J&K, the Sikh terrorists had already cultivated links with the smugglers at the common border. Much of the coordination of links with J&K militants and the NE insurgents was being done by Pakistan, which was facilitating terrorism if not directly aiding and abetting it. Another web of external involvement ran through the Sikh communities abroad.

Sant Bhindranwala,[25]who had ordered is flock to disrupt the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi,[26] chose to move his headequarters to the golden Temple, where he immediately started to arms, ammunition and explosives. Assault rifles, procured partially with Pakistan’s help, replaced the smaller weapons. A large number of followers from the rural areas congregated in the same complex. Their leaders made a call for Dharma Yudh, or mass agitation. On a number of occasions, solution acceptable to both sides was in the offing. At a crucial stage during of those negotiations, an aircraft was ready to fly Akali’s Sant Longowal to the capital but the flight did not take off since the Congress Party seemed to take advantage of the situation in the 1985 elections.

The militants targeted, not only a number of Hindu temples, but also the Punjab police officers twenty of whom were killed in 1983. The President’s rule replaced the elected Darbara Singh government in Punjab when a terrorist group hijacked a bus in Amritsar and murdered six Hindu passengers. With the popularly elected government gone, the number of terrorist acts dramatically rose. The political arena authority would be met only by rushing large paramilitary forces to Punjab. Such forces lacked, however, pertinent information related to the locality. The militants felt free to display the sophisticated weapons acquired, thanks in part to Palistan’s interest in the conflict.

The Golden Temple turned into a fortified castle in public view. The government should have shown a determined but toned down reaction when the developing crisis could have been contained without shedding blood or as little as possible. Indira Gandhi was not disposed to risk a military adventure. Some army advisors assured her that it would be a brief operation. One should  not ignore the fact that the extremists showed no regard for the sanctity of the temple. Although it was true that terrorists were taking advantage of famed religious shrine no less than the golden Temple for their own purposes, it was a sacred place where a full-fledged armed clash should not take place. It was too late for the people to support the government in such a conflict, especially when it involved severe damage to the shrine. Apart form the Akal Takht (Throne)[27] of historical fame and the Harmindir Sahib in the middle of the holy tank, the Golden Temple is a huge complex with a number of building, Guru Nanak Niwas, Worships, several entrances and pathways. All of its buildings, even the gates with majestic domes, were heavily fortified and had holes to fire on the army. Every  opening was a firing position. Fortifications were visible everywhere. With bunkers and fire trenches, the whole complex seemed to be an impregnable bastion. Not only the passages underneath,  but also the buildings around the complex were in the control of the extremists. Starving them and forcing them out was impossible because there was a huge amount of food grain stock.

According to some Indian writers, the army was simply given the task of ending the defilement of the Golden Temple, a symbol of Indian secularism as much as the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, by a “bunch of terrorists and criminals”.[28] Operation Blue Star,[29] which gave the army, not well informed about the complexities of the problem the assignment to empty the Golden Temple of the terrorists, proved to be a mistake with fatal consequences, The operation, launched on the night of 5 June 1984, used tanks to silence fortifications. Lieut.-Gen. K.S. Brar, a top-ranking officer responsible for the military action on the Golden Temple, and whose observations endorse the findings of the Indian Government, justified the intervention in the following words: “[T]he ultimate decision to use the army was taken most reluctantly when every other avenue for a peaceful settlement had been exhausted and the integrity of the country stood seriously threatened and endangered”.[30] The rolling tanks and thundering artillery shattered walls, crushed stairs and knocked down monumental relics such as the Akal Takht. Troop movement from any direction came under heavy fire from the Akal Takht, which had a machine-gun bunker. Any plan to clear the extremists out of it without causing damage to it seemed impossible. Attempts by the army to throw non-lethal gas into the Akal Takht building failed. The sound of the rocket launchers, mortars, machine-guns, and hand-grenades still echo in the minds and the hearts of those who witnessed the traumatic scenes. In addition to the 4,712 killed, about 10,000 were arrested. The army suffered 84 dead and 262 wounded.[31]

Almost the entire Sikh community, not only in Punjab or in the whole of India, but also in the diaspora, judged the massive army intervention as an attack on their religion as well. The misuse of a holy shrine should have been an incredible shock for an average Sikh. It is asserted that “thousands of youth crossed over the borders to Pakistan for training in arms”.[32] While the Sikhs swore vengeance, the foreign based militants urged for an independent “Republic of Khalistan”. One solid effect of Operation Blue Star was the rise of terrorism in Punjab for years to come. Pakistan took advantage of the situation for its own purposes, channeling more arms and financial aid to some militants.[33]One dramatic consequence was the assassination (31 October 1985) of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards, resulting in another tragic response, the anti-Sikh riots during which at least 2,150 Sikhs were killed in New Delhi and more than 600 in other parts of the India.[34]The key stumbling block in Hindu-Sikh relations was not so much the transfer of Chandigarh, or the equitable sharing of waters, or even local autonomy, and finally Operation Blue Star, but the massacre of Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere.

The large-scale anti-Sikh riots, the gruesome murder of thousands of Sikhs and horrendous scenes in the presences of kith and kin threatened to tear apart the secular edifice of the country besides delivering still one more cruel blow to the Sikh psyche.

Another consequence of Operation Blue Star was the growth of rivalry between the leaders of Sikh factions. After the death of Bhindranwala, the new Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for Punjab, and realized the Ragiv-Longowal (Punjab) Accord (1985).[35] The people of the country, particularly the Punjabis, heaved a sigh of relief when ultimately an accord was signed after paying a heavy price. Sant Longowal was killed by Sikh extremists who considered it a sell-out. This murder did not stop the Longowal Akali Dal faction winning a large majority, for the first time in the state’s history, in the 1985 State Assembly elections.

Neither did this triumph prevent the Punjabi terrorists from sabotaging an Air India jumbo jet, which exploded (1985) over the Atlantic. A bomb went off in the baggage hold of the aircraft, bound for New Delhi and Bombay from Toronto and Montreal. A certain “M. Singh”, who later did not board the flight, had persuaded the officials in Vancouver to put his bag on board, for transfer to the Air India flight leaving Toronto. The death toll of 329 stands as the worst at-sea air crash of all time. As a terrorist act, it is the bloodiest in the modern era. The case against a Vancouver-based Sikh extremist cell was very strong, and the call for justice of the bereaved families was bitter ad loud. The lives lost wee unpayable except in shared remorse.[36] Once more, groups of Sikhs housed themselves in the Golden Temple complex. But this time, the public sentiment and the terrorists were mismatched. There was hardly any tension in the city. The militants, who realized that they were in a hopeless situation, surrendered without the army firing a single sot. The so-called Operation Black Thunder was one of the most successful anti-terrorist operations anywhere in the world. There were no casualties, and no damage. Sikh sensitivities were not hurt. Even the Sikh masses supported the operation.

An extraordinary success story like Operation Black Thunder fell short of signifying an end for terrorism in Punjab. Some youngsters introduced remote control timed devices and land mines in addition to the AK.47s and other sophisticated weapons imported from Pakistan. There are documents, such as letters about arms supplies or suggestions for organizational changes, establishing Pakistan’s active involvement.[37] Punjab is not only a border state with a long (550 km) frontier with Pakistan, but it also adjoins J&K, whose lifeline it always was. Barbed wire fencing with observation posts were erected along the whole Indo-Pakistan border. Every situation in Punjab had its impact on J&K. By the same token, the state of affairs in Punjab affected the country as a whole, including its economic life. Punjab is still the granary of India, and its food production traditionally contributed to reducing dependence on imports. It is one of the sources of raw materials like cotton, sugarcane and other crops.

When terrorism hit high spots, Punjab’s economy was in bad shape. As there were cases of railway track sabotage and random firing at crowds, trade virtually reached a standstill, and there was an outflow of capital. Most educational institutions were communalized and became centers of extremist activities. About half of the new generation terrorists came from the urban middle class and the rich peasant families. Some were engaged in illicit drug trade. Their avowed aim was to control Khalistan through violent action. The Khalistan Commando Force (KCF),[38] on record for smuggling arms from Pakistan, and the Khalisatan Liberation Organization (KLO) set off a number of explosions in the past. Some Babbar Khalsa activists, who received training in Pakistan, made more use of explosives than the other groups.

The situation went precipitously downhill between 1986 and 1989 with murders becoming more and more common. The killings started to consume those very people on whose behalf the activities were supposed to have been carried out. In two years (1989-90), the militants issued 31 codes of conduct for academics, bureaucrats, farmers, journalists, policemen, school children, shopkeepers, and others. The people found these codes more oppressive than anything the government had done. [39] It was those depredations against some Sikhs that eventually led to the collapse of support for the militancy. While the veneer of religion grew thinner and thinner, the terrorists killed more Sikhs than Hindus, attacked women and extorted money. Finally, the Sikh-dominated Punjab Police defeated the Khalistani terrorists. The Babbar Khalsa and the KCF leaders escaped to Pakistan, and some fled to North America. The remaining ones still have the capacity, however, to commit terrorist acts.[40] In any case, time may heal the wounds inflicted by the extremists.

Punjab terrorism, which grew out of a number of Sikh grievances, real and imaginary, and which briefly spilled over to a limited Western corner of the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh, eventually declined because of a general abhorrence of violence and lack of public support. The success of Operation Black Thunder buried, at least partly, the disastrous memory of Operation Blue Star. Most Indian sources seem convinced that terrorism will not revive in Punjab. But developments partly caused by the failures of the political-administrative system that has allowed problems to fester, in the past, creating a base of grievance upon which terrorist movements, later encouraged by Pakistan’s ISI, were built. However, the speech (27 March 1985) of Khushwant Singh in the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) of the Indian Parliament may still be remembered: “We are now concerned with one issue. It is the dignity and the self-respect of a community of about 15 million people whose susceptibilities have been deeply hurt. You have to learn how to assuage those feelings and win this community back into the community that comprises India”.[41]

Two important root causes lie in the economic situation and the shape of the political map of the state. For instance, it is very difficult to fight extremism if the Punjabi peasants are deprived of water. Every government has to tackle the problems of poverty and unemployment. Further, the political parties should abandon the use of communal divisions with the hope of winning the next elections. The Akali party, in power and out of power, played different roles. When removed from power, it pursued the Anandpur Sahib Resolution (1973), which contained the seeds of separatism, but when in power (1973-81) the same Resolution was put in cold storage. The people of Punjab, who want peace, are against the separatist slogans and extremism. The implementation of the essence of the Punjab Accord will restore harmony and isolate the militants.

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