Why did Indira Gandhi want to get rid of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale?

Bhindranwale was indra gandhi's weapon that backfired.

Although the declaration of emergency saved her position, it had a severe impact on her image she gained from indo pak war 1971 and her victory in general elections before emergency. To make matters worse, the corruption awareness campaign led by JP narayanan took a bad toll on her image. This resulted in indra loosing in 1977 elections. Infact, she lost in her own constituency.

That's when Sanjay gandhi went searching for a weapon to bring down the janata party government. Zail singh advised Sanjay to bring down akal dal instead of going face first at janata party directly. To bring akal dal down, they needed a new Sikh leader who was ferocious, religious and controversial enough to cause dispute between akali dal leadership. They found bhindranwale!!!

Now Congress back to power in 1980. But by the time bhindranwale had turned against congress and indra didn't expect this escalate to the level of operation blue.

Congress again lost against indra's own daughter in law in a constituency near Lucknow. Bhindranwale's men went on rampage and gunned down people one by one in their hit list (including jounalists to superintendent of police). The rampage was so powerful that the IG openly accepted that he couldn't restore morale in police force of the state.

She tried to impose presidents rule in Punjab to restore normality and her image but failed. Sanjay too died in plane crash. Rajiv’s influence in the party didn't show any signs of hope. She was under pressure to restore faith on her power to keep country in one.

To make matters worse, army major shahbeg singh who played key role in indo-pak 1970, an expert in guerilla training joined bhindranwale when he was backstabbed by indra. The duo procurred automatic rifles to rocket Launchers and fortified the golden temple and made it bhindranwale's headquarters.

Bhindranwale established golden temple as his own territory and even was ready to face the indian army upon attempts of army operation.

Now indra was in a check mate. If she withdraws at this point, it means bhindranwale’s victory and her end in politics. If she got him eliminated, this would severely backfire and invite hatred and dissatisfaction from the public. That's when she pulled the trigger against bhindranwale as last attempt to save her and rajiv’s political career.

Was Indira Gandhi a good PM?

 Few leaders have shaped morden india as profoundly as Indira Gandhi. From military victories against Pakistan, to her downfall due to emergency, her legacy is story of power, leadership, achievement and controversy.

The “Goongi Gudiya” taking the charge :

In 1966, after the death of former Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, many senior leaders in Congress party thought that Indira Gandhi would be a easy one to control and hence proposed her as a prime minister candidate. Some even termed her as a “Goongi Gudiya” (the dumb doll). What happened instead was remarkable.

During her tenure she defeated the powerful bosses of the Congress party who had helped put her in the office. She became the power centre of the party and took control of the Congress party. Many polticians who underestimated her paid a very heavy price.

The Iron lady: Ruthless, Calculated, Unyielding

During 1971 Indo-Pak war, India under her leadership stood alone against worlds most powerful nations. Whole western block including United States, Great Britain, and even middle East came in support of Pakistan. As the war intensified USA the soul superpower of the world dispatched its 7th fleet in Indian Ocean to counter India.

But Indira Gandhi had already played her master stroke.

Months earlier, she had secured a strategic partnership with soviet union. The indo-soviet treaty had provision that any attack on India will be termed as an attack on Soviet union.

As a result, russian nuclear submarines were spotted in Indian Ocean in response of US 7th fleet. This prevented any direct intervention from US. The 7th fleet was forced to turn back.

Under her leadership Indian military achieved its most desicive victory of modern history. Within 2 weeks of war, 93,000 pakistani civilians and military personnel surrendered to the indian army. Pakistan was divided into two halves, and an independent nation Bangladesh was born.

So frustrated was Richard Nixon, President of USA, by India’s difiance that he even referred Indira Gandhi as an “old-witch”.

The haunt of emergency:

25th June 1975, she declared a national emergency, opposition leaders were arrested, press was censored, fundamental rights were rejected, mass sterilization campaign was carried out to control population. As a result train ran on time, strikes decreased, bureaucracy appeared more effective, crime rate decreased. This made some urban middle class to even support this emergency initially.

Operation Blue Star and her assassination:

In 1984 after the operation Blue Star, her advisors urged her to remove sikh bodyguards. But she dismissed it by saying removing bodyguard solely because they where sikh will hurt india’s secular image. Months later, she was assassinated by two of her sikh bodyguards.

The term iron lady truly symbolises her strength, determination and political resolve. However emergency and what many viewed as her authoritarian tendencies will always be a black spot in her legacy.