Post 1982,congress was suddenly bhindranwale's nemesis.Suddenly his mentors were all bad people out to destroy sikhism.Anyone who spoke against him was labelled either an rss worker or a nirankari and one way or other killed.People in hundreds lost their lives.Contrary to the popular perception majority of the people killed were sikhs only!!!( Of a total of 11,694 persons killed by terrorists in Punjab during the period 1981-1993, 7,139 - more than 61 per cent - were Sikhshttp://www.satp.org/satporgtp/publication/nightsoffalsehood/falsehood4.htm ).Now these are official values,so no one start his or her version.
But still there are many opinions on this particular topic.According to many people,some of my friends whose families had witnessed those times,all these people were killed on the behest of indira gandhi and bhindranwale was maligned for no reason.But this explanation seems quite absurd,however no one can completely rule it out.
Coming back to the topic,bhindranwale's clout was increasing like a wild fire.People were impressed by his speeches,his adherence to basic sikhi principles and his tough stand vis a vis govt on various contentious issues.His speeches too which were earlier on towards the religion soon shifted towards 'liberation' of sikhs from the supposedly sinister hindu society.( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8gTaX6KChQ&feature=related).....This video shows him telling every sikh village to have one motorcycle,3 young men and three brand new pistols for self defence.!!!!!!!!Defence from who???
1)hindus???...........they form only 35% of punjab
2)government????.....at that time akalis were in power,they certainly won't kill sikhs
So we can see clearly that this demand had no justification whatsoever.
People kept on being murdered,made to move out of bus and gunned down in front of other people.Virtually whole punjab was in bhindranwale's grip,no decision could be made without his clearance.He was virtually running punjab.But pressure on police to arrest him started rising,fearing arrest he lodged himself in guru nanak niwas in golden temple complex.He remained there for some time untill the area was taken over by babbar khalsa gang.Now he had nowhere to stay,and at this time he took the extreme step of making akal takth(the epitome of sikh political power) his home.Technically it is sacriligeous for anyone except sri guru granth sahib to sleep there,but never the less giving a logic that everything is fair in war,he started sleeping there.Daily a darbar was held there,people came with their complaint,their grieviances and bhindranwale solved those.The gravity of the situation was known when a sikh,unarmed dig of police was gunned down inside the golden temple itself covering the sacred marble stone with blood.This event was only the second time in history of sikh religion,after ahmad shah abdali's raid that something of this magnitude happened there.
By this bhindranwale directly challanged the government.Still it was impossible for police to go,or even try to go near temple.***cont***
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