Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer: Thatcher colluded with Indra Gandhi in massacre of thousands of Sikhs to get orders for sale of arms
Thatcher colluded with Indira Gandhi in massacre of thousands of Sikhs to obtain orders for sale of arms
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)*
Britain shall have to answer: Can human rights can be forgotten, massacre can be compromised, and, cruelty and savagery can be condoned for business interests?
Margaret Thatcher colluded with Indira Gandhi in attack on Darbar Sahib, by the Indian Army, on 4 June 1984, to obtain huge order for sale of army equipment to India and other lucrative commercial deals.
This was revealed in the documents de-classified by the Public Records Office, London, which came to light on 13 January 2014. These documents include ‘secret and confidential’ letters written by Margaret Thatcher, her Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and other officials, on 6 and 23 February and 30 June 1984. These letters had been written in response to letters written by Indira Gandhi on 3, 20 and 27 February 1984 and one of 14 June 1984, (which have been retained under section 3(4) of Public Records Act of 1958).
What is revealed by Margaret Thatcher’s letter
The letter of 6 February 1984* was in response to Indira Gandhi’s personal letter to Margaret Thatcher, the then Prime Minister of Britain, in which Indira Gandhi had asked Thatcher to help her “to flush out the dissidents from the Darbar Sahib Amritsar”, and Thatcher not only agreed to provide advice from Britain’s special forces but she actually sent officers of the SAS (Special Airforce Services) to visit Amritsar. As per the letter of 23 February 1984,* these British Army officers, after visiting Darbar Sahib as tourists, chalked out a plan to attack Darbar Sahib and submitted it to Indira Gandhi, who approved it.
(*see the full text of these letters in the end of this paper).
What the letters of Margaret Thatcher have revealed had already been referred to by B. Raman, the former Chief of Indian Government’s intelligence agency R.A.W. (known as the Indian KGB), in his book ‘The Kaoboys of R&AW’ (published in 2007) on page 96:
“I was given to understand that at the request of Kao, two officers of the British Secret Service (MI5) visited Golden Temple as tourists and gave a similar advice to Indira Gandhi – be patient and avoid action or use the police.”
But, Raman is wrong on two points: 1. The British officers did not belong to the MI5 as he has stated; they were from SAS (Special Airforce service), as Thatcher herself has mentioned in the letter of February 1984. 2. It is wrong the British officers asked Indira to avoid army action; on the other hand they “chalked out a plan to attack Darbar Sahib and submitted it to Indira Gandhi, who approved it” (as mentioned in Thatcher’s letter of February 1984. See the text of the letters in the end of this article).
Protests in British Parliament
When these letter were published in some newspapers, Labour M.P.s Tom Watson and Pat McFadden raised the issue in the House of Commons, and, and Lord Inderjeet Singh too demanded an explanation from the Prime Minister, asking him to present the truth before the Parliament. Especially Tom Watson wrote a detailed letter to the Foreign Secretary to give full explanation. Tom Watson said:
“If the documents are authentic, it shows that Britain secretly provided planning advice to India’s military in the build up to the raid on the Golden Temple, Amritsar in 1984. Please confirm whether the enclosed documents are indeed official government records.
“As you know, the events of that time led to thousands of innocent Sikhs losing their lives. There were many documented human rights abuses, many still the subject of investigation. It is, therefore, not unreasonable for British Sikhs, all of whom know someone who was affected by these events, to have some answers.
“I urge you to clarify, as soon as possible, whether there are other documents withheld by the government on this matter, on what grounds and by which departments. It seems inconceivable that there would not be further correspondence that has been retained, which details the UK’s involvement in the run up to the raid on the Golden Temple, in addition to the enclosures.
“Parliament has the right to know where military operatives were deployed and there should be full disclosure of the facts surrounding this case. I request that you give consideration to an urgent inquiry to establish what further records are held and to reveal the UK’s precise involvement in this affair.
“Was the Cabinet informed? Which ministers took the decision to give military support? How many personnel were involved? Was there a UK military presence in a operational, logistical, observational or advisory capacity during the siege at Amritsar?”
Tom Watson alleged that the Thatcher government "colluded" with India on the deadly raid on the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984.
At this, British PM David Cameron ordered an investigation into an MP's claim. But, still, he made a statement in the Parliament: “I have never heard of it before. As far as we are concerned, as far as the Indian army are concerned, there was no mention of this ever. It is not clear if the Indian government accepted any British advice - the general who led the operation, KS Brar, denied the UK had helped at all. I was unaware of these papers prior to publication. “Any requests today for advice from foreign governments are always evaluated carefully with full Ministerial oversight and appropriate legal advice.”
The Prime Minister said: These events led to a tragic loss of life and we understand the very legitimate concerns that these papers will raise. The cabinet secretary's investigation would try to establish the facts "as quickly as possible" but that he would also look at whether the papers should have been released or not...I was genuinely surprised and ..on behalf of my constituents l was also upset and deeply offended that we would be involved with what turned out to be a raid that caused huge loss of life and political tensions ever since…”
Later, in a statement issued by Downing Street, Cameron said: "What happened at Amritsar 30 years ago led to a tragic loss of life and must never be forgotten. I know that 30 years on from this dreadful incident and the events that occurred in the months and years afterwards remain a source of deep pain to Sikhs everywhere and it was right that Prime Minister Singh apologised for what happened.
“Last year I went to the Golden Temple and I saw for myself its beauty and its calm, and what a special place it holds in the heart of Sikh people around the world." Cameron reassured the public, especially the Sikh community, that the inquiry will be thorough and transparent. “I completely understand the concerns that the documents raise, which is why as soon as I heard about them I asked the Cabinet Secretary to urgently look into the role played by the UK Government and to establish the facts. That process is underway andI'd like to reassure the public, especially the Sikh community here in Britain and around the world that the inquiry will be thorough, transparent and will get to the truth."
Thatcher did it to obtain order for sale of arms
Thatcher conspired with Indira Gandhi, in latter’s attack on Darbar Sahib Amritsar, to obtain huge order for sale of army equipment to India. This is proved by the documents of June 1984, just a few days after the attack on Darbar Sahib. After the attack on Darbar Margaret Thatcher fully supported actions of Indira Gandhi. During this period, Indira Gandhi had written two letters to Thatcher, on 9 and 14 June 1984 (Operation Bluestar ended on 10 June). These letters were about Sri Lanka and developments in trouble-torn Punjab. Her 14 June letter to Thatcher was specifically about Punjab.
In her reply to these letters, Thatcher sent a telegram to Indira Gandhi (on 30 June 1984). It said: These have been anxious weeks for you, involving difficult decisions. I have followed closely your efforts to restore calm there, and I very much hope that the ‘healing touch’ for which you have called will open the way to a peaceful and prosperous future for that troubled region.
I well appreciate your concern about the potential security threat posed by extremists outside India. We are determined not to allow our traditional freedoms to be abused by those who seek to use violence for political ends.
I know that certain remarks carried by the media in Britain have caused distress in India. We have made sure the police are aware of these statements, and they are investigating them. As you know, the media are independent in Britain, as they are in India. This means that the government does not intervene in media decisions, however much we may personally regret them.
Margaret Thatcher was more concerned about sale of arms to India than that of regard for innocent Sikhs who were being massacred and tortured in the Punjba. For Thatcher human rights had no value because, for her, India was a lucrative market for arm sales.
Another document, in the series, makes clear Whitehall's interest in lucrative arms sales to India at this time. A secret Foreign Office briefing dated 22 June 1984, which was sent to Downing Street, stressed that British "commercial interests" in India were "very substantial. It is a large and growing market for both commercial and defence sales. It is worth noting that the British exports in 1983 exceeded £800 million. The document claimed that since Indira Gandhi’s rule in India, especially since 1975, India has bought British defence equipment worth over £1.25 billion.
When this issue was raised in the House of Commons, David Cameron, the Prime Minister, appeared to downplay the likelihood of an inquiry finding evidence that Britain was to blame for the raid. Labour's former deputy chairman Tom Watson suggested the British might have played a part in the assault on the temple in exchange for the Indians agreeing to purchase a fleet of helicopters in a £65m deal. Watson said to Cameron: "On your Amritsar inquiry, instead of ordering the civil servants to investigate, why don't you just ask Lords Geoffrey Howe and Leon Brittan what they agreed with Margaret Thatcher, and whether it had anything to do with the Westland Helicopter deal at the time?" Cameron did not agree to hold an enquiry, and, just dismissed any suggestions of a conspiracy.
The report of the Cabinet Office will be submitted within a few days; and, another political storm is likely to be seen in the British Parliament, India and the whole of the world.
Britain shall have to answer: Can human rights can be forgotten, massacre can be compromised, and, cruelty and savagery can be condoned for business interests?
Part II
Why did Indira Gandhi attack the Darbar Sahib?
Although Indira Gandhi had re-captured power from the Janta Party Alliance and had become P.M. again on the 14th of January 1980, but she knew that she had won those elections due to negative votes cast by voters against the Janta Party’s infighting; and, now, she had no new agenda for the next elections and about half of the term of Lok Sabha had passed, so she began thinking over several fronts; first she deliberated upon using the Tamil issue (in Sri Lanka) but it would not have yielded her much gains because it would have affected only Tamil or at the most Dravid votes, most of which were already with her, especially when the B.J.P. was her main opposition the South would support her because of its (South’s) clash with north on the issue of language and culture. Hence, to capture a high chunk of north Indian votes she (Indira Gandhi) needed to show something startling; hence she decided to use the Sikh card; and, for this purpose, she had to outstrip the B.J.P. and other fundamentalist and fanatic Hindu organisations to ensure the Hindus that ‘only the Congress can safeguard the interests of the Hindus’; this she could have achieved only by first establishing the Sikhs as ‘enemies of the Hindus as well as India’ and then by crushing them with all might.[1]
With all this in her mind, Indira Gandhi decided to use the Indian Army, the R.A.W. (the Indian intelligence network), the I.B. (Intelligence Bureau) and all the media for an all out attack on the Sikhs.
Under this move Indira Gandhi decided to attack on the very heart of Sikhism i.e. Darbar Sahib Amritsar; she wanted to teach the Sikhs such a lesson that, what to talk of demanding their rights, they should never be able to raise their heads as honourable people; it included mass killings, desecration of their shrines, destruction of their archives, libraries and museums, their history and heritage; to create a permanent physical, social and psychological awe in their minds to make them realise that they had no pride, no civic, religious or human rights; and they were slaves and third rate beings (not humans).
To execute this agenda, Indira Gandhi decided to first create hatred in the mind of the Hindus in order to get their full-fledged support for herself and for her actions as well as disdain for the Sikhs; hence she had to present the Sikhs as criminals, killers of the Hindus, fanatics, fundamentalists and ferocious persons; and, on the other hand, to present the Hindus, especially of the Punjab as innocent people and peaceful citizens and victims of terrorism. To achieve this agenda she had to unite all the Hindu fanatics under one umbrella and one slogan: ‘hate the Sikhs, they are traitors, they are enemies of the Hindus, they are danger to the sovereignty of the country.’
Indira’s next move was to use all the media, Indian as well as foreign, by provoking or/and by bribing them, through national and international political manoeuvring and even through commercial publicity agencies; and it was a part of her strategy that the Sikhs should not be able to get international support or sympathy and they should rather be presented as ‘Sikh terrorists’ and not militants or Khalistanis or freedom fighters, or victims of state terrorism. She sent missions, she financed journalists and news agencies, she held dinner parties to the media folk and sent precious gifts to writers, journalists and press correspondents; and, through her own official and national media she launched an all out war against the Sikhs.
The next move was to create differences and dissension, conflict and rebellion among the Sikh organisations so that they should point out their guns towards each other; this could have been doubly useful: firstly, a civil war among the Sikhs leading to destruction or at least major losses and a state of standstill in their struggle; and, secondly it would become an excuse to pounce upon them in many a way.
With this colossal plan, she entrusted job to the RAW and she began seeking help from the Russian K.G.B., the Israeli MOSSAD, the American C.I.A. and the British intelligence; none of them, perhaps, knew that she was in touch with the others and/or she was using all of them.
At home front Indira Gandhi did not fully trust the R.A.W and/or the I.B., hence she created a new agency under the code name Third Agency; she herself was the in charge of this ‘Agency’; her son Rajiv Gandhi and Arun Nehru were her main advisors;[2] all the plan regarding the Punjab had been chalked out and executed by this Third Agency;[3]it had three main objectives: (1) to clinch the Hindu votes in the rest of the country by giving the Sikh community a punch on the nose; (2) to take the wind out of the Opposition’s sail by doing exactly what they had been saying the Government should do: ‘attack Darbar Sahib’; (3) to test the efficiency of a Third Intelligence Agency camouflaged by a blundering R.A.W. and inefficient I.B.[4] According to Surya, three things prove the total involvement of the Government and its intelligence network in the Punjab operation: (1) all the senior intelligence officers serving in the Punjab, Rajasthan, J & K sector during the Akali agitation have either been promoted, recommended for a police medal or sent abroad; (2) most of the arms that were found in the Darbar Sahib, in 1984, had been smuggled into the country through Rajasthan under the actual supervision and/or connivance of a RAW officer; (3) S.K. Tripathi, in charge of RAW at Amritsar, from mid 1982 to the 3rd of May 1984, had sent a coded telegram to Delhi with details of an impending attack on more than 40 railway stations in the Punjab – and the Government chose nothing to do about it. Surya asserts that the ‘Third Agency’ was formed only to aid the Congress Party (Indira Gandhi) in its election campaign[5] (to use the Sikh card).
“The Third Agency had its office at Bikaner House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi; to camouflage it a Board bearing the nomenclature ‘Cabinet Secretariat (Security) was hung at the gate of its office. This ‘Agency’ was masterminded by R.N. Kao (Chief Security Advisor to Indira Gandhi); other important organisers included: N.F. Santook (former chief of the RAW), G.C. Saxena (later chief of RAW), and R. Shankaran Nair (Director P.M.’s Secretariat) etc.”[6]According to Darshi, H. S. Kriplani (a RAW man) who was expert in planning secret murders, was made in charge of the Punjab and was given charge of clandestine assassinations in the Punjab; he was also assigned the job of ‘gun smuggling operations’; Rabinder Ohri (Assistant Director RAW) operated from Rajasthan and coordinated with H.S. Kriplani (in smuggling of weapons); later, W.N.B. Rao (another Assistant Director RAW) took over from Ohri; after this R.N. Gupta (Assistant Director RAW) replaced Rao and supervised operations in Rajasthan; he remained on this ‘job’ till December 1983. Similarly, A.I. Vasuvada (another RAW officer) remained the in charge of Amritsar till summer of 1982; it was he who master-minded the action at Chowk Mehta on the 20th of September 1981 (it was carried through Awtar Singh Atwal, D.I.G. Punjab Police, which led to killing of several Sikhs); in 1982 he was replaced by S.K. Tripathi who planned murders of the Hindus as well as burning of 47 railway stations; after accomplishing his ‘job’ he returned to Delhi on the 3rd of May 1984.[7] Another remarkable feature of these operations was that she frequently transferred the ‘Third Agency’ officers in the Punjab so that none should have complete picture of her plan; even the Governors of the Punjab were transferred with short intervals; Jai Sukh Lal Hathi remained Governor till August 1981; his successor Amin-ud-Din was replaced in April 1982; he was succeeded by Chenna Reddy and then A.P. Sharma, the last to be replaced by her most confident man B.D. Pandey (in August 1983) who remained in office up to the 28th of June 1984. The chiefs of the Punjab Police too were replaced with the extra-ordinary speed: Birbal Nath was succeeded by C.K. Sahni who was replaced by Indira Gandhi’s favourite man Pritam Singh Bhinder who remained in office up to the attack on Darbar Sahib (later he was replaced by K.S. Dhillon).[8]
Final Order for attack on Darbar Sahib
In the summer of 1983 Indira Gandhi asked Lt General S. K. Sinha, then vice-chief of the Indian Army to prepare a position paper for an assault on Darbar Sahib; but, when he strongly advised her against taking such a step; as a result he was transferred to Army Headquarters; later, he chose to seek pre-mature retirement. Now Arun Shridhar Vaidya was appointed the Chief of Army with Lt. General Krishna Swamy Sunderji (General Officer Commander in chief of the Western Command) as vice Chief. In September 1983, Indira Gandhi asked Vaidya and Sunderji to prepare a position paper for an attack on Darbar sahib and he agreed immediately; it (position paper) was ready by the end of December 1983; Indira Gandhi studied it for two weeks and, on the Indian Army Day, on the 15th of January 1984, she gave final instructions to General Sunderji to make preparations for attack.
In the third week of January 1984, a commando force of 600 soldiers was selected from different units of the Indian Army; they were sent to make rehearsals for an assault on Darbar Sahib Complex, and, for this purpose a life size replica of the Darbar Sahib complex was built in the hills of Chakrata (near Dehradun), about 240 kilometres from Delhi. In January 1984, after accomplishment of the mission of practice of mock attack on Darbar Sahib Complex, Indira Gandhi was briefed about the completion of the preparations for attack. Immediately after this Indira Gandhi made contact with Russia, Israel and England.
Part III
DOCUMENTS
The letters of February 1984
6 February 1984 letter:
This letter, dated 6 February 1984, was writteb by Principal Private Secretary Margaret thatcher to Brian Fall, private secretary to then foreign secretary Geoffrey Howe):
“Thanks you for your letter of 3 February about the Indian request for advice on plans for the removal of dissident Sikhs from the Golden Temple. The Prime Minister is content that the Foreign Secretary should proceed as he proposes. The Prime Minister will look forward to receiving a report on the adviser’s visit and notes that the Home Secretary would be informed if the Indians seemed likely to proceed with their plan. I am copying this letter to Richard Mottram (Ministry of Defence) and Richard Hatfield (Cabinet Office)”. (signed) F.E.R. Butler
23 February letter:
This letter, dated February 23 1984, was written by Brian J.P. Fall, private secretary to the then foreign secretary Geoffrey Howe, to Hugh Taylor, his counterpart under home secretary Leon Brittan. The letter was marked ’Top secret and personal’.
“Sikh Community
The Indian authorities recently sought Briitsh advice over a plan to remove the Sikh extremeists from the Golden temple in Amritsar. The Foreign Secretary decided to respond favourably to the Indian request and, with the Prime Minister's agreement, an SAD officer has visited India and drawn up a plan which has been approved by Mrs Gandhi. The Foreign Secretary believes that the Indian Government may put the plan into operation shortly.'
An operation by the Indian authorities at the Golden Temple could, in the first instance, exacerbate the communal violence in the Punjab.
It might also, therefore increase tension in the Indian community here, particularly if knowledge of the SAS involvement were to become public. We have impressed upon the Indians the need for security; and knowledge of the SAS officer's visit and of his plan has been tightly held both in India and in London. The Foreign Secretary would be grateful if the contents of this letter could be very strictly limited to those who need to consider the possible domestic implications.
I am copying this letter to Robin Butler (No 10) and Richard Mottram (MOD) and Richard Hatfield (Cabinet Office).”
Telegram from Thatcher to Indira Gandhi (30 June 1984):
I well appreciate your concern about the potential security threat posed by extremists outside India. We are determined not to allow our traditional freedoms to be abused by those who seek to use violence for political ends. I know that certain remarks carried by the media in Britain have caused distress in India. We have made sure the police are aware of these statements, and they are investigating them. As you know, the media are independent in Britain, as they are in India. This means that the government does not intervene in media decisions, however much we may personally regret them.
Tom Watson’s letter to William Hague (Foreign Secretary):
The Rt Hon William Hague MP
Foreign Secretary Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles Street London SW1A 2AH
14 January 2014
Dear Mr Hague
I have recently viewed facsimile copies of correspondence allegedly concerning the UK’s involvement in the raid on the Golden Temple in 1984. These documents are part of the PREM 19/1273 series and have apparently been released under the 30 year rule on disclosure of government papers.
If the documents are authentic, it shows that Britain secretly provided planning advice to India’s military in the build up to the raid on the Golden Temple, Amritsar in 1984. Please confirm whether the enclosed documents are indeed official government records.
As you know, the events of that time led to thousands of innocent Sikhs losing their lives. There were many documented human rights abuses, many still the subject of investigation. It is, therefore, not unreasonable for British Sikhs, all of whom know someone who was affected by these events, to have some answers.
I urge you to clarify, as soon as possible, whether there are other documents withheld by the government on this matter, on what grounds and by which departments. It seems inconceivable that there would not be further correspondence that has been retained, which details the UK’s involvement in the run up to the raid on the Golden Temple, in addition to the enclosures.
Parliament has the right to know where military operatives were deployed and there should be full disclosure of the facts surrounding this case. I request that you give consideration to an urgent inquiry to establish what further records are held and to reveal the UK’s precise involvement in this affair.
Was the Cabinet informed? Which ministers took the decision to give military support? How many personnel were involved? Was there a UK military presence in a operational, logistical, observational or advisory capacity during the siege at Amritsar?
British Sikhs deserve answers.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely
Tom Watson
Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East
---------------------------------
References
[1] For comprehensive details, see: Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, Sikh History In 10 Volumes 92012), vol 7, pp 154-220.
[2] A. R. Darshi, The Gallant Defender (Amritsar 2005), p. 97 (of 2007 edition).
[3] Surya monthly, September 1984.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Darshi, A.R. The Gallant Defender (Amritsar 2005), p. 97 (of 2007 edition).
[7] Ibid, pp. 98-99.
[8] Ibid, p. 101.
----------------------------------------------------------
*Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer
National Professor of Sikh History
Former Director: Sikh History Research Board
International Director: Guru Nanak institute of Sikh Studies
hsdilgeer@yahoo.com
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)*
Britain shall have to answer: Can human rights can be forgotten, massacre can be compromised, and, cruelty and savagery can be condoned for business interests?
Margaret Thatcher colluded with Indira Gandhi in attack on Darbar Sahib, by the Indian Army, on 4 June 1984, to obtain huge order for sale of army equipment to India and other lucrative commercial deals.
This was revealed in the documents de-classified by the Public Records Office, London, which came to light on 13 January 2014. These documents include ‘secret and confidential’ letters written by Margaret Thatcher, her Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and other officials, on 6 and 23 February and 30 June 1984. These letters had been written in response to letters written by Indira Gandhi on 3, 20 and 27 February 1984 and one of 14 June 1984, (which have been retained under section 3(4) of Public Records Act of 1958).
What is revealed by Margaret Thatcher’s letter
The letter of 6 February 1984* was in response to Indira Gandhi’s personal letter to Margaret Thatcher, the then Prime Minister of Britain, in which Indira Gandhi had asked Thatcher to help her “to flush out the dissidents from the Darbar Sahib Amritsar”, and Thatcher not only agreed to provide advice from Britain’s special forces but she actually sent officers of the SAS (Special Airforce Services) to visit Amritsar. As per the letter of 23 February 1984,* these British Army officers, after visiting Darbar Sahib as tourists, chalked out a plan to attack Darbar Sahib and submitted it to Indira Gandhi, who approved it.
(*see the full text of these letters in the end of this paper).
What the letters of Margaret Thatcher have revealed had already been referred to by B. Raman, the former Chief of Indian Government’s intelligence agency R.A.W. (known as the Indian KGB), in his book ‘The Kaoboys of R&AW’ (published in 2007) on page 96:
“I was given to understand that at the request of Kao, two officers of the British Secret Service (MI5) visited Golden Temple as tourists and gave a similar advice to Indira Gandhi – be patient and avoid action or use the police.”
But, Raman is wrong on two points: 1. The British officers did not belong to the MI5 as he has stated; they were from SAS (Special Airforce service), as Thatcher herself has mentioned in the letter of February 1984. 2. It is wrong the British officers asked Indira to avoid army action; on the other hand they “chalked out a plan to attack Darbar Sahib and submitted it to Indira Gandhi, who approved it” (as mentioned in Thatcher’s letter of February 1984. See the text of the letters in the end of this article).
Protests in British Parliament
When these letter were published in some newspapers, Labour M.P.s Tom Watson and Pat McFadden raised the issue in the House of Commons, and, and Lord Inderjeet Singh too demanded an explanation from the Prime Minister, asking him to present the truth before the Parliament. Especially Tom Watson wrote a detailed letter to the Foreign Secretary to give full explanation. Tom Watson said:
“If the documents are authentic, it shows that Britain secretly provided planning advice to India’s military in the build up to the raid on the Golden Temple, Amritsar in 1984. Please confirm whether the enclosed documents are indeed official government records.
“As you know, the events of that time led to thousands of innocent Sikhs losing their lives. There were many documented human rights abuses, many still the subject of investigation. It is, therefore, not unreasonable for British Sikhs, all of whom know someone who was affected by these events, to have some answers.
“I urge you to clarify, as soon as possible, whether there are other documents withheld by the government on this matter, on what grounds and by which departments. It seems inconceivable that there would not be further correspondence that has been retained, which details the UK’s involvement in the run up to the raid on the Golden Temple, in addition to the enclosures.
“Parliament has the right to know where military operatives were deployed and there should be full disclosure of the facts surrounding this case. I request that you give consideration to an urgent inquiry to establish what further records are held and to reveal the UK’s precise involvement in this affair.
“Was the Cabinet informed? Which ministers took the decision to give military support? How many personnel were involved? Was there a UK military presence in a operational, logistical, observational or advisory capacity during the siege at Amritsar?”
Tom Watson alleged that the Thatcher government "colluded" with India on the deadly raid on the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984.
At this, British PM David Cameron ordered an investigation into an MP's claim. But, still, he made a statement in the Parliament: “I have never heard of it before. As far as we are concerned, as far as the Indian army are concerned, there was no mention of this ever. It is not clear if the Indian government accepted any British advice - the general who led the operation, KS Brar, denied the UK had helped at all. I was unaware of these papers prior to publication. “Any requests today for advice from foreign governments are always evaluated carefully with full Ministerial oversight and appropriate legal advice.”
The Prime Minister said: These events led to a tragic loss of life and we understand the very legitimate concerns that these papers will raise. The cabinet secretary's investigation would try to establish the facts "as quickly as possible" but that he would also look at whether the papers should have been released or not...I was genuinely surprised and ..on behalf of my constituents l was also upset and deeply offended that we would be involved with what turned out to be a raid that caused huge loss of life and political tensions ever since…”
Later, in a statement issued by Downing Street, Cameron said: "What happened at Amritsar 30 years ago led to a tragic loss of life and must never be forgotten. I know that 30 years on from this dreadful incident and the events that occurred in the months and years afterwards remain a source of deep pain to Sikhs everywhere and it was right that Prime Minister Singh apologised for what happened.
“Last year I went to the Golden Temple and I saw for myself its beauty and its calm, and what a special place it holds in the heart of Sikh people around the world." Cameron reassured the public, especially the Sikh community, that the inquiry will be thorough and transparent. “I completely understand the concerns that the documents raise, which is why as soon as I heard about them I asked the Cabinet Secretary to urgently look into the role played by the UK Government and to establish the facts. That process is underway andI'd like to reassure the public, especially the Sikh community here in Britain and around the world that the inquiry will be thorough, transparent and will get to the truth."
Thatcher did it to obtain order for sale of arms
Thatcher conspired with Indira Gandhi, in latter’s attack on Darbar Sahib Amritsar, to obtain huge order for sale of army equipment to India. This is proved by the documents of June 1984, just a few days after the attack on Darbar Sahib. After the attack on Darbar Margaret Thatcher fully supported actions of Indira Gandhi. During this period, Indira Gandhi had written two letters to Thatcher, on 9 and 14 June 1984 (Operation Bluestar ended on 10 June). These letters were about Sri Lanka and developments in trouble-torn Punjab. Her 14 June letter to Thatcher was specifically about Punjab.
In her reply to these letters, Thatcher sent a telegram to Indira Gandhi (on 30 June 1984). It said: These have been anxious weeks for you, involving difficult decisions. I have followed closely your efforts to restore calm there, and I very much hope that the ‘healing touch’ for which you have called will open the way to a peaceful and prosperous future for that troubled region.
I well appreciate your concern about the potential security threat posed by extremists outside India. We are determined not to allow our traditional freedoms to be abused by those who seek to use violence for political ends.
I know that certain remarks carried by the media in Britain have caused distress in India. We have made sure the police are aware of these statements, and they are investigating them. As you know, the media are independent in Britain, as they are in India. This means that the government does not intervene in media decisions, however much we may personally regret them.
Margaret Thatcher was more concerned about sale of arms to India than that of regard for innocent Sikhs who were being massacred and tortured in the Punjba. For Thatcher human rights had no value because, for her, India was a lucrative market for arm sales.
Another document, in the series, makes clear Whitehall's interest in lucrative arms sales to India at this time. A secret Foreign Office briefing dated 22 June 1984, which was sent to Downing Street, stressed that British "commercial interests" in India were "very substantial. It is a large and growing market for both commercial and defence sales. It is worth noting that the British exports in 1983 exceeded £800 million. The document claimed that since Indira Gandhi’s rule in India, especially since 1975, India has bought British defence equipment worth over £1.25 billion.
When this issue was raised in the House of Commons, David Cameron, the Prime Minister, appeared to downplay the likelihood of an inquiry finding evidence that Britain was to blame for the raid. Labour's former deputy chairman Tom Watson suggested the British might have played a part in the assault on the temple in exchange for the Indians agreeing to purchase a fleet of helicopters in a £65m deal. Watson said to Cameron: "On your Amritsar inquiry, instead of ordering the civil servants to investigate, why don't you just ask Lords Geoffrey Howe and Leon Brittan what they agreed with Margaret Thatcher, and whether it had anything to do with the Westland Helicopter deal at the time?" Cameron did not agree to hold an enquiry, and, just dismissed any suggestions of a conspiracy.
The report of the Cabinet Office will be submitted within a few days; and, another political storm is likely to be seen in the British Parliament, India and the whole of the world.
Britain shall have to answer: Can human rights can be forgotten, massacre can be compromised, and, cruelty and savagery can be condoned for business interests?
Part II
Why did Indira Gandhi attack the Darbar Sahib?
Although Indira Gandhi had re-captured power from the Janta Party Alliance and had become P.M. again on the 14th of January 1980, but she knew that she had won those elections due to negative votes cast by voters against the Janta Party’s infighting; and, now, she had no new agenda for the next elections and about half of the term of Lok Sabha had passed, so she began thinking over several fronts; first she deliberated upon using the Tamil issue (in Sri Lanka) but it would not have yielded her much gains because it would have affected only Tamil or at the most Dravid votes, most of which were already with her, especially when the B.J.P. was her main opposition the South would support her because of its (South’s) clash with north on the issue of language and culture. Hence, to capture a high chunk of north Indian votes she (Indira Gandhi) needed to show something startling; hence she decided to use the Sikh card; and, for this purpose, she had to outstrip the B.J.P. and other fundamentalist and fanatic Hindu organisations to ensure the Hindus that ‘only the Congress can safeguard the interests of the Hindus’; this she could have achieved only by first establishing the Sikhs as ‘enemies of the Hindus as well as India’ and then by crushing them with all might.[1]
With all this in her mind, Indira Gandhi decided to use the Indian Army, the R.A.W. (the Indian intelligence network), the I.B. (Intelligence Bureau) and all the media for an all out attack on the Sikhs.
Under this move Indira Gandhi decided to attack on the very heart of Sikhism i.e. Darbar Sahib Amritsar; she wanted to teach the Sikhs such a lesson that, what to talk of demanding their rights, they should never be able to raise their heads as honourable people; it included mass killings, desecration of their shrines, destruction of their archives, libraries and museums, their history and heritage; to create a permanent physical, social and psychological awe in their minds to make them realise that they had no pride, no civic, religious or human rights; and they were slaves and third rate beings (not humans).
To execute this agenda, Indira Gandhi decided to first create hatred in the mind of the Hindus in order to get their full-fledged support for herself and for her actions as well as disdain for the Sikhs; hence she had to present the Sikhs as criminals, killers of the Hindus, fanatics, fundamentalists and ferocious persons; and, on the other hand, to present the Hindus, especially of the Punjab as innocent people and peaceful citizens and victims of terrorism. To achieve this agenda she had to unite all the Hindu fanatics under one umbrella and one slogan: ‘hate the Sikhs, they are traitors, they are enemies of the Hindus, they are danger to the sovereignty of the country.’
Indira’s next move was to use all the media, Indian as well as foreign, by provoking or/and by bribing them, through national and international political manoeuvring and even through commercial publicity agencies; and it was a part of her strategy that the Sikhs should not be able to get international support or sympathy and they should rather be presented as ‘Sikh terrorists’ and not militants or Khalistanis or freedom fighters, or victims of state terrorism. She sent missions, she financed journalists and news agencies, she held dinner parties to the media folk and sent precious gifts to writers, journalists and press correspondents; and, through her own official and national media she launched an all out war against the Sikhs.
The next move was to create differences and dissension, conflict and rebellion among the Sikh organisations so that they should point out their guns towards each other; this could have been doubly useful: firstly, a civil war among the Sikhs leading to destruction or at least major losses and a state of standstill in their struggle; and, secondly it would become an excuse to pounce upon them in many a way.
With this colossal plan, she entrusted job to the RAW and she began seeking help from the Russian K.G.B., the Israeli MOSSAD, the American C.I.A. and the British intelligence; none of them, perhaps, knew that she was in touch with the others and/or she was using all of them.
At home front Indira Gandhi did not fully trust the R.A.W and/or the I.B., hence she created a new agency under the code name Third Agency; she herself was the in charge of this ‘Agency’; her son Rajiv Gandhi and Arun Nehru were her main advisors;[2] all the plan regarding the Punjab had been chalked out and executed by this Third Agency;[3]it had three main objectives: (1) to clinch the Hindu votes in the rest of the country by giving the Sikh community a punch on the nose; (2) to take the wind out of the Opposition’s sail by doing exactly what they had been saying the Government should do: ‘attack Darbar Sahib’; (3) to test the efficiency of a Third Intelligence Agency camouflaged by a blundering R.A.W. and inefficient I.B.[4] According to Surya, three things prove the total involvement of the Government and its intelligence network in the Punjab operation: (1) all the senior intelligence officers serving in the Punjab, Rajasthan, J & K sector during the Akali agitation have either been promoted, recommended for a police medal or sent abroad; (2) most of the arms that were found in the Darbar Sahib, in 1984, had been smuggled into the country through Rajasthan under the actual supervision and/or connivance of a RAW officer; (3) S.K. Tripathi, in charge of RAW at Amritsar, from mid 1982 to the 3rd of May 1984, had sent a coded telegram to Delhi with details of an impending attack on more than 40 railway stations in the Punjab – and the Government chose nothing to do about it. Surya asserts that the ‘Third Agency’ was formed only to aid the Congress Party (Indira Gandhi) in its election campaign[5] (to use the Sikh card).
“The Third Agency had its office at Bikaner House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi; to camouflage it a Board bearing the nomenclature ‘Cabinet Secretariat (Security) was hung at the gate of its office. This ‘Agency’ was masterminded by R.N. Kao (Chief Security Advisor to Indira Gandhi); other important organisers included: N.F. Santook (former chief of the RAW), G.C. Saxena (later chief of RAW), and R. Shankaran Nair (Director P.M.’s Secretariat) etc.”[6]According to Darshi, H. S. Kriplani (a RAW man) who was expert in planning secret murders, was made in charge of the Punjab and was given charge of clandestine assassinations in the Punjab; he was also assigned the job of ‘gun smuggling operations’; Rabinder Ohri (Assistant Director RAW) operated from Rajasthan and coordinated with H.S. Kriplani (in smuggling of weapons); later, W.N.B. Rao (another Assistant Director RAW) took over from Ohri; after this R.N. Gupta (Assistant Director RAW) replaced Rao and supervised operations in Rajasthan; he remained on this ‘job’ till December 1983. Similarly, A.I. Vasuvada (another RAW officer) remained the in charge of Amritsar till summer of 1982; it was he who master-minded the action at Chowk Mehta on the 20th of September 1981 (it was carried through Awtar Singh Atwal, D.I.G. Punjab Police, which led to killing of several Sikhs); in 1982 he was replaced by S.K. Tripathi who planned murders of the Hindus as well as burning of 47 railway stations; after accomplishing his ‘job’ he returned to Delhi on the 3rd of May 1984.[7] Another remarkable feature of these operations was that she frequently transferred the ‘Third Agency’ officers in the Punjab so that none should have complete picture of her plan; even the Governors of the Punjab were transferred with short intervals; Jai Sukh Lal Hathi remained Governor till August 1981; his successor Amin-ud-Din was replaced in April 1982; he was succeeded by Chenna Reddy and then A.P. Sharma, the last to be replaced by her most confident man B.D. Pandey (in August 1983) who remained in office up to the 28th of June 1984. The chiefs of the Punjab Police too were replaced with the extra-ordinary speed: Birbal Nath was succeeded by C.K. Sahni who was replaced by Indira Gandhi’s favourite man Pritam Singh Bhinder who remained in office up to the attack on Darbar Sahib (later he was replaced by K.S. Dhillon).[8]
Final Order for attack on Darbar Sahib
In the summer of 1983 Indira Gandhi asked Lt General S. K. Sinha, then vice-chief of the Indian Army to prepare a position paper for an assault on Darbar Sahib; but, when he strongly advised her against taking such a step; as a result he was transferred to Army Headquarters; later, he chose to seek pre-mature retirement. Now Arun Shridhar Vaidya was appointed the Chief of Army with Lt. General Krishna Swamy Sunderji (General Officer Commander in chief of the Western Command) as vice Chief. In September 1983, Indira Gandhi asked Vaidya and Sunderji to prepare a position paper for an attack on Darbar sahib and he agreed immediately; it (position paper) was ready by the end of December 1983; Indira Gandhi studied it for two weeks and, on the Indian Army Day, on the 15th of January 1984, she gave final instructions to General Sunderji to make preparations for attack.
In the third week of January 1984, a commando force of 600 soldiers was selected from different units of the Indian Army; they were sent to make rehearsals for an assault on Darbar Sahib Complex, and, for this purpose a life size replica of the Darbar Sahib complex was built in the hills of Chakrata (near Dehradun), about 240 kilometres from Delhi. In January 1984, after accomplishment of the mission of practice of mock attack on Darbar Sahib Complex, Indira Gandhi was briefed about the completion of the preparations for attack. Immediately after this Indira Gandhi made contact with Russia, Israel and England.
Part III
DOCUMENTS
The letters of February 1984
6 February 1984 letter:
This letter, dated 6 February 1984, was writteb by Principal Private Secretary Margaret thatcher to Brian Fall, private secretary to then foreign secretary Geoffrey Howe):
“Thanks you for your letter of 3 February about the Indian request for advice on plans for the removal of dissident Sikhs from the Golden Temple. The Prime Minister is content that the Foreign Secretary should proceed as he proposes. The Prime Minister will look forward to receiving a report on the adviser’s visit and notes that the Home Secretary would be informed if the Indians seemed likely to proceed with their plan. I am copying this letter to Richard Mottram (Ministry of Defence) and Richard Hatfield (Cabinet Office)”. (signed) F.E.R. Butler
23 February letter:
This letter, dated February 23 1984, was written by Brian J.P. Fall, private secretary to the then foreign secretary Geoffrey Howe, to Hugh Taylor, his counterpart under home secretary Leon Brittan. The letter was marked ’Top secret and personal’.
“Sikh Community
The Indian authorities recently sought Briitsh advice over a plan to remove the Sikh extremeists from the Golden temple in Amritsar. The Foreign Secretary decided to respond favourably to the Indian request and, with the Prime Minister's agreement, an SAD officer has visited India and drawn up a plan which has been approved by Mrs Gandhi. The Foreign Secretary believes that the Indian Government may put the plan into operation shortly.'
An operation by the Indian authorities at the Golden Temple could, in the first instance, exacerbate the communal violence in the Punjab.
It might also, therefore increase tension in the Indian community here, particularly if knowledge of the SAS involvement were to become public. We have impressed upon the Indians the need for security; and knowledge of the SAS officer's visit and of his plan has been tightly held both in India and in London. The Foreign Secretary would be grateful if the contents of this letter could be very strictly limited to those who need to consider the possible domestic implications.
I am copying this letter to Robin Butler (No 10) and Richard Mottram (MOD) and Richard Hatfield (Cabinet Office).”
Telegram from Thatcher to Indira Gandhi (30 June 1984):
I well appreciate your concern about the potential security threat posed by extremists outside India. We are determined not to allow our traditional freedoms to be abused by those who seek to use violence for political ends. I know that certain remarks carried by the media in Britain have caused distress in India. We have made sure the police are aware of these statements, and they are investigating them. As you know, the media are independent in Britain, as they are in India. This means that the government does not intervene in media decisions, however much we may personally regret them.
Tom Watson’s letter to William Hague (Foreign Secretary):
The Rt Hon William Hague MP
Foreign Secretary Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles Street London SW1A 2AH
14 January 2014
Dear Mr Hague
I have recently viewed facsimile copies of correspondence allegedly concerning the UK’s involvement in the raid on the Golden Temple in 1984. These documents are part of the PREM 19/1273 series and have apparently been released under the 30 year rule on disclosure of government papers.
If the documents are authentic, it shows that Britain secretly provided planning advice to India’s military in the build up to the raid on the Golden Temple, Amritsar in 1984. Please confirm whether the enclosed documents are indeed official government records.
As you know, the events of that time led to thousands of innocent Sikhs losing their lives. There were many documented human rights abuses, many still the subject of investigation. It is, therefore, not unreasonable for British Sikhs, all of whom know someone who was affected by these events, to have some answers.
I urge you to clarify, as soon as possible, whether there are other documents withheld by the government on this matter, on what grounds and by which departments. It seems inconceivable that there would not be further correspondence that has been retained, which details the UK’s involvement in the run up to the raid on the Golden Temple, in addition to the enclosures.
Parliament has the right to know where military operatives were deployed and there should be full disclosure of the facts surrounding this case. I request that you give consideration to an urgent inquiry to establish what further records are held and to reveal the UK’s precise involvement in this affair.
Was the Cabinet informed? Which ministers took the decision to give military support? How many personnel were involved? Was there a UK military presence in a operational, logistical, observational or advisory capacity during the siege at Amritsar?
British Sikhs deserve answers.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely
Tom Watson
Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East
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References
[1] For comprehensive details, see: Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, Sikh History In 10 Volumes 92012), vol 7, pp 154-220.
[2] A. R. Darshi, The Gallant Defender (Amritsar 2005), p. 97 (of 2007 edition).
[3] Surya monthly, September 1984.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Darshi, A.R. The Gallant Defender (Amritsar 2005), p. 97 (of 2007 edition).
[7] Ibid, pp. 98-99.
[8] Ibid, p. 101.
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*Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer
National Professor of Sikh History
Former Director: Sikh History Research Board
International Director: Guru Nanak institute of Sikh Studies
hsdilgeer@yahoo.com
