Operation Black Thunder is the name given to two operations that took place inIndia in the late 1980s to remove Sikh militants from theGolden Temple using 'Black Cat' commandos (National Security Guards)[1] and commandos fromBorder Security Force. LikeOperation Blue Star, these attacks were on the Sikh militants based in the Golden Temple inAmritsar,Punjab.[2]
The first Operation Black Thunder took place on 30 April 1986. About 200 radical Sikh militants had been occupying the temple premises for the last 3 months.[3] The operation was commanded byKanwar Pal Singh Gill, who was the DGP of Punjab.[3] About 300National Security Guards commandos stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, along with 700Border Security Force troops and captured about 200 Sikh militants.[4] One person was killed and two were injured.[3] All of those who were arrested were released a few months after the Operation on account of a lack of evidence.[5]: 114–116 The operation, which lasted eight hours, was approved by then Chief minister of PunjabSurjit Singh Barnala ofShiromani Akali Dal.[4]
There were heavy negative reactions to the Operation.Parkash Singh Badal andAmrinder Singh along with 27AkaliMLAs broke from Barnala's party and formed their own party. Soon afterSGPC presidentGurcharan Singh Tohra joined them. Barnala was later ostracised by the Sikhs for his role in the operation. Years later he submitted to theAkal Takht Jathedar who made Barnala serve devotees in the Golden temple and other historic gurdwaras to atone for his mistakes.[5]: 114–115
Operation Black Thunder II (sometimes referred to as Operation Black Thunder) began on 9 May 1988[6] inAmritsar and ended with the surrender of the militants on 18 May. The operation was under control of theUnion Home Ministry and had been planned since early 1988. In early 1988 the government created a model of the Golden Temple in theAravalli Hills whereNational Security Guards practiced the operation. They later practiced the Operation in a high school and college inHarayana. TheSpecial Action Groupcommandos had already started to grow their hair so they could blend in as Sikhs during the operation.[5]: 117
By mid February the date of the Operation was set and leave of the Special Action Group commandos had been cancelled. In the lead up to the operationJarnail Singh Bhindranwale's nephew Jasbir Singh Rode was released andpresident rule was declared in Punjab. Punjab was further to be declared astate of emergency. State sponsored terrorists used Soviet madeRPG-7's at a Vishwakarma Temple nearPhagwara where there were 70CRPF stationed.[5]: 117–118
On May 8 DIG (Deputy Inspector General of Police) of CRPF Sarabdeep Singh Virk went to a building near the Golden Temple and convinced a militant, Santhok Singh Kala, to join security forces and to carry out terrorist operations for them. Kala taunted other militants which led to them firing and Virk being injured. Hearing about the shooting the Jathedar, Jasbir Singh Rode, hurried to Amritsar.[5]: 118
On May 11 and 12, around 1,000 commandos from the Special Action Group were airlifted to Amritsar under the command ofBrigadier Sushil Nanda. Nanda had a hot line toNew Delhi with the National Security Guard control room. On May 11 Rode was able to get a ceasefire that lasted two hours. Rode met withGurdev Singh Kaunke, journalists, and other associates. He talked to other militants. During this time commandos took their positions replacing the CRPF which had been previously stationed.[5]: 118–119 [7]
The ground level was commanded byKanwar Pal Singh Gill who was theDGP ofPunjab Police.Snipers were used in this operation.[8]
Soon civilians and militants surrendered. Compared toOperation Blue Star, little damage was inflicted on the Golden Temple.[9] In what was reported as a successful operation, around 200 militants surrendered, 41 were killed.Gill stated that he did not want to repeat the mistakes made by the Indian army during Operation Blue Star.[10] This operation was described as a severe setback to theAnandpur Resolution implementation movement. In contrast to prior operations, minimum force was used under full public scrutiny.[11] It is remembered for the free access the news media was provided unlike duringOperation Blue Star.[12] The day after the militants surrendered, nine reporters were allowed into the Temple complex.[13]Kirtan was resumed at the Golden Temple on 23 May 1988 after a two-week break during this operation.[14]
While Operation Blue Star was widely considered poorly executed and shambolic because of the egregious loss of civilian lives and the damage done to both the Golden Temple and Sikh relations with thegovernment (culminating in theassassination ofIndira Gandhi by her bodyguards and the1984 Sikh massacre), Operation Black Thunder was far more successful with theblockade tactics paying dividends, and has been credited with breaking the back of the Sikh separatist movement. Soon after this operation, the Indian Government banned the use of religious shrines for political and military purposes and increased penalties for the possession and use of illegal weapons, as part of its strategy to fight extremism in the Punjab region.[15]
In 2002, Sarabjit Singh, thenDeputy Commissioner of Amritsar at the time published a book "Operation Black Thunder: An Eyewitness Account of Terrorism in Punjab". The account was criticised byKanwar Pal Singh Gill who claimed that the operation was initially called "Operation Gill" before being renamed "Operation Black Thunder".[16]
