I grew up reading India Today . It’s a privilege for my sons generation to be told these stories by you . They don’t make journalists like you any more . You are our Shirer
shekhar Gupta ji aapko punjab ki bahut tension rehti hai , achi baat hai….Lakin kabhi aap story karoghe ke 2% brahmin baniya ki population hai India mai or 80% media, Supreme court or BJP ke cabinet or RSS pe kaisa control kiya huya hai??
In India like in in Africa & other colonies, Britishers/Europeans wanted to sustain colonization so they put their local puppets in power!! Putting Congress/Nehru in power were part of the British plan!! Congress then made colonial anti Hindu media & history books!!
@@086wolf Because of tradition and merit. Division of labor, basically. For social order, cohesion, specialization and harmony. Everyone did his thing and lived well. Well, mostly. By the way, Brahmins are 5% of India's population. Baniyas are 7%. Brahmins have traditionally been the educated class, and Baniyas have the money. Of course, Merit matters too. Modi, for example. If Chanakya was a great Minister, Chandragupta was a great king too. Mahakavi Kalidas, the greatest Poet of Bharat, was a Kuruba, a shepherd. Why just RSS, the Communist parties are led by the Brahmins too, and so (is) does Congress. It's like the the 15% Ashraf Muslims ahead of the 85% Pasmanda Muslims. It's the 80:20 rule, aka the Pareto Principle. It's the same in any country or company, society or social grouping. Take Uttar Pradesh. Even after a Social Justice revolution, the Jatavs in UP are in a better position than the other Dalits. The Yadavs are in a better position than many OBCs. That's why, the laggards in the Dalit Community call for reservations among the Reserved Category. The Forward among the Dalits must help the much more backward among their bretheren because they are beneficiaries of social justice and must be kind enough to forego reservations and let the more unfortunate have them.
@@086wolf Have you qualified for becoming any of these professionals? Are you talented enough ? Or your only talent is complaining like most Sikhs of Punjab?
Just a suggestion to ThePrint team. I think SG should be doing a separate series called "SG Files", a recollection of his interesting experiences & stories of all his reportage, rather than making this CTC.
Honestly, this was gut wrenching. SG's narration brings out the pain of a horrendous time in Indian history, which we hope and wish never ever happens again.
This is unfinished business and will be taken care of in its totality. Only time will tell what we are made up of. We do not forget and we do not forgive... My children and their children and their children will be reminded time and again until the time is ripe. Wait and watch.
I almost cried while listening to this. This has to be a master class in journalism. Mr. Gupta I just tell you how envious I am of you. Although I work as a IT professional I once dreamt of being a journalist and oh my god you are so fortunate to see so many unfortunate stories in front of you and tell us the young generation like dadu or Nanu would tell us about family legacy. Along with CTC please give us something from your stories atleast once a week.
Episode is epitome of honest experiences and I am grateful for you to share them. Life is short to learn from mistakes, especially when they have already been made before.
The mention of 26 Madras was significant to me. My battalion took over the Kargil Defended Area from 26 Madras in 1995. I had the privilege as a 2nd Lieutenant (we had that rank back then) - "baby of the battalion" as you put it - of being part of the advance party and of taking over a company post from (then) Capt Shanmugham of 26 Madras.
shekhar Gupta ji aapko punjab ki bahut tension rehti hai , achi baat hai….Lakin kabhi aap story karoghe ke 2% brahmin baniya ki population hai India mai or 80% media, Supreme court or BJP ke cabinet or RSS pe kaisa control kiya huya hai??
As a country with a very large population that were either too young, remote or not born it is so important (perhaps gory) to know this chapter so recent yet not in memory of many... Everytime killings of any kind from mob lynching to riots to anything it's our people dying .. there can be better ways to co-exist.. must we see such things again and have another generation of traumatized indians before we be careful in how unaccommodating we are (self check thing) Thank you Shekar and print team And sorry about your traumas ... It's easy to forget that a journalist must have such profound mental impact on them so also appreciation and gratitude for the years persistent work
This is an absolute gem. A documented history which can be preserved and can be shared with generations. Love your episodes and it’s my morning routine while I get ready for work.
Incredibly detailed story telling by SG leaving unforgettable imprints in the mind. “Moral dimension to leadership“ in intrinsic to military leadership and is so much different from what we generally see in business and political leadership . But on rare occasions when moral dimension of leadership is actually there in a business or political leader, the result is magical. Learnings of Leadership actually stems from military leadership. Thank you SG for a wonderful episode of CTC.
Shekar Gupta - you are a national treasure!! 👏🏿 I was only 7 yrs old back then…and living in south India. My knowledge of this history has been poor. Your recent episodes on the current situation in Punjab couching it in historical context has been a brilliant history lesson! A history that our citizens, especially younger ones should know, and wow to never let happen again. Kudos to your entire team for this brilliant piece. I’m renewing my subscription!
I had streams of tears flowing through my eyes at the end of the episode. Thank you SG for such a detailed report. We can never fully understand the magnitude of the catastrophe of 1984 and the aftermath.
Mr. SG, i grew up reading India today and honestly, your columns were the most favourite. This two part episode is like a movie and nobody could have done this better than you. Thank you so much for shedding light on this very important & painful history of our country 🙏
General Shabeg Singh didn't merely believe that he was victimized, he was actually victimized and dismissed, without any court marshal, from army disrespectfully just before the day of his retirement. He was acquitted of all the charges against him by Supreme Court. This shows that the story told by you couldn't be believed wholly as you might have missed or manipulated many things deliberately.
What a solid narration Mr Shekhar. This brings back the memory of those horrific times we all Punjabis lived through. Have always tried to encourage the younger generation to stay away from radicalism but your narration of facts is powerful and I hope and pray that all Punjabis watch this more so the young ones. Regards
I am from Kangra district in adjoining HP, in 1984/85 I was 5-6 years and have this very hazy memory. A person had come to our house to buy our buffalo and he asked about my uncle who was in Army… my Grandfather told him that he was in posted in Punjab, and my grandmother started crying into her chador… ‘Punjab ech bare halle paye hun… jwala mata mere putt-e-yo bchaiye rakheyaan’ (Punjab has lot of noise going on, O jwala ma keep my son safe). Everyone was consoling the old lady… I did not understand any of the stuff then but the memory lingered on… now I see the undercurrents. It horrific that a section of people want to bring that horror back
Hindu Azad Muslim Azad why not Sikhs? The hindu betrayed the Sikhs and history show Sikhs will never accept anything less than their rightful freedom. Indian state media will tell you it's narrative the truth is somewhat different. Dhanwad.
These types of episodes are real treasure for historians and history enthusiasts, be it even nightmare we need them to be recorded to learn from past and prevent repetition
Shekar Sir, once again this episode of 1984 was memorable and hope punjab does not fall into the same trap of what we have seen in 80s’ & 90s’. Looks like Amirtpal and his sympathizers has not learnt lessons from past mistakes. Very sad to see people falling into ISI hands like this.
shekhar Gupta ji aapko punjab ki bahut tension rehti hai , achi baat hai….Lakin kabhi aap story karoghe ke 2% brahmin baniya ki population hai India mai or 80% media, Supreme court or BJP ke cabinet or RSS pe kaisa control kiya huya hai??
Thank you. Thee is a crisis but it isn’;’t at all at the same level as the eighties. But we have to ensure we do not repeat errors of the past…stay well..shekhar
Dear Mr Shekhar Gupta, Let me share a personal story. On April 13, 1919, a young Sikh boy who had gone to Jalianwala Bagh in Amritsar to listen to leaders of freedom movement. He survived that day by hiding under pile of dead bodies. Later in his life served n the Central government’s defense department as a superintendent. After his retirement he went back to Punjab. A few days before blue star, totally oblivious to political happenings and turmoil, this 75 year old and near blind man went to Amritsar to get his cataract surgery done. He stayed in Sarai as he usually did it in the past. Because of the marshal law like situation people got stuck wherever they were at the moment. Many army soldiers dragged people out of the Sarai and killed them summarily, this old Sikh included. He survived the British at Jalianwala Bagh but was killed by his own army whom he had served. He was my Grandfather’s brother. Ours was a patriotic family. My grandfather was a member of Gadar party fighting British at age 15. Other members of family served in Army as well.
For Noone it matters that this was all planned to kill Sikhs. All they want to use K word. At present no hindu is punished for saying to Sikhs that should we remind you guys 1984? This statement is no offence but if you use K use, you are dangerous anti-nationalists and terrorists.
Well, the truth is terrible things happened in those three days. My condolences and sympathies. I do hope and pray such a tragedy never revisits us…thanks for writing in…shekhar
You guys have to believe that the army did this to Pilgrims because there are hundreds of interviews of the surviving Pilgrims who say that the army killed the Pilgrims without any reason. I saw no one who said that Sikhs shot anyone directly other than the army.
39 years ago when I had to walk 28 kms to my home on 31st October, I wondered if I could ever get to know the real story of what lead to the death of Mrs. Gandhi. Thanks to SG I now have a better understanding of the events regrettably with the loss of so many lives.
Yes, this format of story telling is way more profound then just a drab fact rattlings. I urge you to keep them coming. Very engrossing tale though quite unfortunate.
The small Sikh community in the south were also affected and not to be forgotten. I was 7, but remember seeing the burnt Gurudwara at Coimbatore, and it still makes me angry.
Back in '84 my father was posted in Trivandrum. He had gone to Trivandrum railway station to board a train back home to Mumbai (via Andhra in those days). He saw a large group of men chasing someone with seemingly violent intentions. He later realised that they were rioters trying to kill an innocent turbaned Sikh. That's when it struck him how bad the situation was.
As a Sikh and a daughter of a serving Indian army officer and the niece of the DC Amritsar during Blue Star, this narration hit very deeply. I study IR at The Fletcher school in the US and writing my thesis on the subject and although I’m overwhelmed while reading through articles and books for my research, this episode had me in tears. Thank you so much for your journalism sir, it’s a rarity and I pray God that it’s not lost on our future generations.
@@meharmandher1210 Even sikh army officers in U.P were not spared.There were many cases even house of Aurora sir(Hero of bangladesh liberation) was attacked.
Thanks! This was very informative can you please continue with this series im very interested in this history and the experiences you are sharing, also I trust you as a source that I believe. I hear a lot from everywhere but I your information I trust so please continue with this series because it will help people understand and make an informed discussion.
Thank you Sir. Your well articulated stories and points of view on important events in our history are deeply enriching. I wish this flow of content from you never stops.
After listening to ur experience, general brar's interview and subramanian swamy 's interview my conclusion so far is that Russia inspired Indira Gandhi to take on this Mission (high chances), bhinder wala wasn't pure separatist but govt thought him to be a threat, whole situation was created by incompetence govt in center and state, army was sent at the last moment when everything was mess, army tried their best to solve the situation with less casualties but they couldn't handle the mission properly. A mistrust appeared from both sides, sikhs now hated Hindus and Indians were fed that Sikhs were separatist.
Perhaps this is the most honest coverage of 1984 Punjab I ever have seen . Surely you have made your name in history because of unbiased and unopinionted journalism of the tragic incident that happened in Punjab and northeastern states.
Hats off to Shekar Gupta. This two part ctc has finally convinced me to take a membership. My respects to the old school journalism and the style of story telling. Riveting. The content is gut wrenching, the knowledge it shares vital. Again, thanks for bringing this gem of an episode to us.
What a brilliant narration. I wish my dad would be alive to share this video with, he would have simply loved it. Watching, sharing n discussing ur ctc n ni videos was one such passion we shared as father daughter. I missed him today while watching this
I have seen every episode of CTC in the last 3 years and the ongoing 4-5 episode series on Punjab (including the Amritpal ones) is one of the best, keep it up, Shekhar ji.
The "quote" by Lt Col Panikkar mentioned by you is one that any Indian Army officer would give you sir. We are trained in the spirit of leading from the front. In the Indian Army, it is not considered something extraordinary if an officer leads from the front. It's just what s/he is expected to do. The Chetwode credo of Nation First, Troops second and self last is something that we common believe in.
Never had goosebumps listening to a news like narration. You are a great story teller, Shekhar Ji, and one of the best journalists our country shall ever see.
Absolutely epic two episodes. Shekharji, listening to your stories is blood-chilling. Makes me very thankful for my desk job and thankful that there are people like you who left such desk jobs to do some incredible work!!
Not many journalists can recount the saddest days of Independent India in such a bipartisan manner, including the sacrifice of Indian Army personnel, so eloquently. Dear Shekhar Gupta, you are doing a great job, far better than any journalist could be credited with. We look forward to more of such detailed accounts of our recent history.
One of your best videos, Sekhar Guptaji! You've packed so much of information and emotions in this video. Salute to you Sir! I'm proud and happy to be the Print subscriber!
I have perhaps not watched any other of the CTC with such unwavering attention, just trying soak in each word of your first hand experience and unbiased view of the situation. Thank you for this glimpse in history so many from my seem to have forgotten.
Excellently narrated. People like me wore the army uniform those terrible days. We lost our Sikh comrades butchered after Blue Star. Many of them were decorated officers and men. It even divided the apolitical army. Thank you Sir. We need one on our IPKF operations🙏
Thank you for writing in Achal. I can imagine how traumatic it must have been for you. I shall do something on IPKF in the course of time for sure…stay well…shekhar
I have read your write- up in the Punjab Story book. Brilliant writing. And you are on the dot when you say Punjab is probably the most important national issue at the moment. Thank you!
Thank you Shekhar Ji , CTC is becoming a national treasure for future generations! This is history that all Indians need to learn-it's imperative to understand the horrors and to prevent this from ever occurring again. As in 1984, the root cause is support from across the border feeding on discontent within and funding it. Hope and pray that the Gov is able to find a lasting and amicable solution to problems as we root this out once and forever. This is the time for India's greatness to shine and we cannot afford internal strife and conflict!
Thanks for writing in. These are stories from forty years ago. I hope we do not repeat the blunders of that generation…thanks also for your support…and stay well..shekhar
My respect and admiration for your journalism has only gone up sir. The recollection is so raw and gory..you were right there.. Every word every sentence reflects it. Thank you again 🙏
these 2 parts were absolutely amazing storytelling...thanks for this, for a person born so long after these incidents, it gives such clear insight on what would have happened in those days.
Thank you Shekhar for sharing your memories with us. I have no words to describe how I feel after hearing your narration. May peace reign long over our beloved Punjab.
Brilliant n honest portrayal of the most tragic post independent era, not easy revisiting nightmares of millions and Yours too, I am still very saddened for that chapter of our forgettable history
As someone who has watched probably every epidose of Shekar Gupta's CTC, I think these two episodes (along with the one on Nelli in Assam maybe) are, in my opinion, the finest/best episodes of CTC. Brilliant writing, really great insights of the entire Bluestar operation and the miscalcualtions of the army. I moved to the US in 1979 and never really had an opportunity in the prei-Internet age to read the brilliant coverage that SG did for India Today and so was completely unaware of the details he presented. Brilliant work, Shekhar. I love you pieces that are on subjects like these where you really bring insights that are rare. I am not very fond of your CTC episodes on the Covid virus or on the economics/financial sector where you often seem uneasy or not so confident.Or maybe it is because I am a B-school professor I find those finance/economics episodes somewhat less satisfying.. I really enjoy the ones that really showcase your brilliant reporting, personal analysis and analysis. I guess we are aboutthe same age roughly and I really appreciate what you bring to your fabs on CYC. I have been critical of your use of Americanisms such as "Push comes to THE shove" (there is no THE there in usage!) and so on.But wher eyou really are way above teh rest is when you are grounded in the reporting that yo have done. Great job! This is really outstanding!
Absolutely loved this two-part episode on Op Bluestar. Now onto reading the Punjab Story 1984. Eagerly waiting for your next episode on Mrs Gandhi Death and Anti Sikh Riots
30 mins felt like 10 mins or so. At the end, I was left yearning for more. Shekhar Gupta's videos are like novels or mini movies. There's a build up, twists and all that. Also minute details like 'the body had beads of perspiration' made it visual for us.
Sir you are a font of knowledge! Please keep bringing more of these story telling episodes! Hope we learn from history & don't repeat the mistakes again! As an added bonus I got several book suggestions! Thank you!
Absolutely essential to publish some more episodes of cut the clutter on this topic as you are promising. You indeed are roving the chaff and telling the story without any clutter. Keep it up. Thanks 🙏
Pls continue the stories of 1984, a tumultuous year in indian and Sikh history. Given a very balanced story telling by SG, I would like is for him to end with the “moral of the story”. I would like to hear from SG why did Bhindranwale fight ? Context is missing in his story…ao pls construct and share that viewpoint as well, so people get an start to end view b
I think as Shekhar ji said Bhindranwale considered himself the incarceration of all that is holy. But in reality he chose to sacrifice Harmandir sahib. He was no saint.
@@bhautikparekh7627 you've spoken like a true hindu coward, who is to scared to stand up to state sponsored terrorism, corrupt useless lying politicians / leaders and security forces who abuse their power and commit human rights violations at will. You would have made a very obedient british subject during the raj.
Massive respect to General Sundar Krishnamurty,he insured no artifacts were targeted at the golden temple even making sure soldiers took out there boots before the assault begun
@@rravisankar3355 " legendary general and a fine scholar." Probably good only for large-scale army operations like Operation Chequerboard. What happened during Operation Blue Star was nothing short of incompetence. Those commanding generals so callously used the fighting men under their command as literal cannon fodder!
Thank you for bringing these stories alive with anecdotes and narration. Important history lesson that we all ought to know and etch in memory. Waiting for more episodes!
Thank You Shekher.. I just hope the young Sikh kids who're romanticising with the ideas of Kalistani and Amritpal will see your video series and learn the most basic lesson that violence breeds violence. They're but toys in the hands of enemy of the estate and only they can break this chain of killings.
This was a really good account. I think a lot of things are very glossed over by the military. When Kuldip Brar went around & asked soldiers if they could be excused on religious grounds from taking part in this operation this amounts to more of an ultimatum. No soldier could refuse. His livelihood is at stake. Any soldier who opted out would have been court marshalled. Career over. No matter all this Jai Jawaan talk soldering is a job a transaction. In the Kanwaar Sandhu series he tells you more about the particular Sikh soldier who accepted the award. It remained in the box it came in. The misreading by the army & the mocking they gave the individual who warned the military that Bindranwala will fight to the end says all you need to know. I’ve actually placed an order for the Edward Behr book. It’s a rare thing I think. The Punjab Story I have.
Mr. Gupta, as a former soldier and a Sikh, I take strong exception to your characterising the conduct of OP Bluestar as incompetent. With 40 years of hindsight, you cannot call the action incompetent without proposing an alternative approach that was not adopted. If your assertion is that tanks and howitzers should have been used from the get go, can you imagine the furor it would have caused. Please don't be a Monday morning quarterback in what is otherwise stellar storytelling on your part. We had to incur the casualties we did to show that the escalation was gradual and forced not intended. Else, they could have simply used the airforce and avoided all military casualties. Please stick to your knitting when opining on such specialist matters and recognise the lack of any accompanying rationale to show what was not done that made the conduct of operation bluestar incompetent. Keep up the good work sir.
Well, some of us wrote this early on. But, with operations like these and the benefit of hindsight there will always be many arguments. I respect yours too. If we meet some day we can talk in greater detail. Thanks for writing in, and thanks for your support… warm regards, shekhar
@ SHEKHAR- there is not a SHRED of evidence that Bhindrawale EVER espoused / asked for khalistan ; In all his speeches / press edicts he maintained that Sikhs wnat to live with dignity and honor as equal citizens of India. His main emphasis was ALWAYS the Anandpur Sahib resolution which RIGHTLY calls for a FEDERAL structure among other justifiable demands / issues of Punjab and Punjabis (NOT JUST SIKHS). There are scores of speeches of bhindrawale on the internet wherein he openly calls for a struggle for implementing the Anandpur sahib resolution and NEVER ever calls for Khalistan. In fact there is a video in which Sukhjinder Singh Khera ( father of Congress leader Sukhpal Khera) TRIES to raise the BOGEY of khalistan and a red faced bhindrawale has him shut up and made to sit down mid speech ! There is no doubt Bhindrawale was a radical and a right wing divisive personality and maybe he/ his followers had committed crimes. But this issue of painting him as the poster child of Khalistan is a pure media creation. In Oct 1983 there was a dastardly and evil killing of Hindu bus passengers in Dhilwan (the first of 7 or 8 such killings that happened in Punjab over 12-13 years of violence. This was used as the justification by the Central Govt and Indira Gandhi to dismiss the Darbara Singh government ( Congress) and impose Presidents rule. And who was the first person to condemn this - bhindrawale himself. for 4 decades the media has used the bogey of Khalistan and Bhindrawale to target the Sikhs and Sikh identity in general - I am no supporter of Bhindrawale nor have i ever espoused Khalistan. But there are scores of genuine State issues/ disputes which the centre has ridden roughshod over and denied the rights to Punjab. It is this simmering discontent that keeps boiling over in Punjab and unfortunately is continuously exploited by the political forces. Sikhs want to live in peace and with dignity in ALL parts of India- not just Punjab. We have made innumerable sacrifices for this country and the blind hubris of power and arrogance of a head strong PM, her coterie and self serving bureaucrats led to unimaginable loss of life inside and outside Punjab. By all accounts Bhindrawale had roughly 150 odd men with rifles and a few LMGs - did we need multiple army divisions, tanks and helicopters to flush them ? And Shekhar conveniently forgot to mention that the day chosen for the attack on June 5 was the martyrdom day of Guru Arjun- why ? when thousands of innocent pilgrims were inside ? were the army generals so incompetent and complete morons or this was designed to crush the spirit and psyche of the Sikhs and "teach them a lesson".. Unless there is honest reporting and Indians truly are informed about what happened and why the wounds just dont heal and this kind of "gloss over" reporting is meant to only present what we already have heard millions of times ad nauseam.. shekhar - willing to give u complete, inside unbiased accurate facts if u have the guts to share and report
sikhs has the same right as anyone else from any community...and ASR was nothing but a theocratic secessionist document demanding direct involvement of akaal takht in everyday state politics where not jst sikhs lived but other communities also...
@@mrsingh8515 "People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive." i suggest u to listen to self made historian ajmer singh ....yaha facts aur proof ki baatein hogi ye tumhare samajh nhi aani
Sandhu sahib the iisues in Panjab needed a political solution,most of this crisis was choreographed from Delhi and Chandigarh.Mrs. Gandhi took deliberate actions to cause a Hindu Sikh divide,Sikh Nirankari divide, Akali Damdami Taqsal divide,so on and so forth. Operation Blue Star was a ploy to punish Sikhs and make it look like a Bangladesh type of victory,basically to win Hindu vote.Period.
@@attuldeshwwal i do my own research..and im not a propornt of khalistan or any separatist ideology- IT is PEOPLE LIKE U WHO HAVE BLINDFOLDS..pls open ur eyes and call an injustice as it is.. its been 42 years since the genocide of sikhs in delhi and rest of inidia- the bastards who killed and raped thousands have been protected by the indian state- as a HUMAN being ( not sikh or hindu or any other identity) that is an abominable truth and im sure dumbasses like u will find justification for such atrocities also- which is what given birth to separatist ideologies in minorities.. open ur eyes and mind
I was 6 years old when this happened and living in UK. I remember hearing that Indira Gandhi was as assassinated because the day was my birthday. Thank you for telling this story so that those of us who did not live through it can understand.
More I hear this the more I believe in REAL education (NOT IELTS) is so important for both sides of the Punjab. No disrespect-but it looks special idiots in the Punjab region, both India & Pakistan. Why would you have fertile land but still hell bent on fighting in the name of religion or dominance?? In my state we dont have water even for rice or sugarcane but no one talks about fighting instead on the importance of education as a escape. But in Punjab too much idiocy due to too much wealth & brawn but absolutely no brain.
@@Vizorfam This is what I hear from Pakistani's too. Any criticism its always Hindutva🤣🤣In south we have multiple terms for people like you-the easiest is the 3 monkeys ( I am being kind). Neither me or my state is going to be affected but common Punjabis. Learn to accept criticism even if it is wrong
@@tejesheconomics4072 I follow a great deal of news around the world & I am amazed at the radicalism/fanaticism of some overseas Sikhs. Every religion has fanatics and usually change in environment i.e. country broadens your perspective. But Sikhs overseas seem more religious & they believe in expressing their devotion through muscle & hate. Here I amazed at the logic presented by SG about Bhindrawale/Punjabis & immediately I am labelled Hindutva. On the other hand we are generational farmers struggling for water even to feed the livestock (but still farming) which has been persistent for several decades & here is a fertile land but fanatics hell bent on shedding blood.
I like to read history but the events that you shared from your first hand experiences were mind numbing, Shekar, you’ve shone the floodlight on a dark event of our recent past. Appreciate the references of books written by respected soldiers and reporters like you. You quoted George Santayana “Those who don’t learn (from) history are doomed to repeat it” needs to be taken seriously. Your presentation was superb and attention grabbing. 🙏🏾
A dark chapter in the history of modern, brilliantly narrated with a humane perspective. Mr. Shekhar Gupta speaks this episode like a poet singing a tragic poem. He is a living book of history. I am interested to know more. Please create more episode on this incident. Thanks.
The demand of hindu rashtra is also wrong and all those who support it do so to harass minorities also Sikh community will never forget that operation!! What things the minorities of this country face is disturbing
This BS propagated again and again. I dont support Hindu rastra but this nonsense is pure BS to the core. Sikhs are fighting before & after because their holy temple was assaulted inspite of them starting first. However if Hindu asked for their holiest temple makes them fanatic. I can go & on this..didnt you hear how & what Bhindrawale said about Hindu's??? and there was no RSS Or BJP was in 1984, how do you justify the hindu hate or hindu's murdered in 1984???
Hindu Rashtra includes land stolen by Pakistan. Khalistan is ISI project thus excludes Lahore which is important for Sikhism. Hindu Rashtra asks for unification, Khalistan for secession.
What is a hindu rashtra ? But u already living in a hindu rashtra, there's a difference between rashtra and rajya educate yourself about basic Sanskrit but you won't obviously, Now tell me again what the minorities in this country are not able to do ?
I listened to you just like would listen to my history teacher in school. My mum was a history Post Grad. I love listening to history lessons as we get to learn a lot from history and to not commit same mistakes in future
Moral of the story...if you choose to fight India, you are destined to lose. Sedition and waging a war against the state warrants Capitol punishment. Sorry and Jai Hind !
Sorry SG ji yesterday I said 'don't glorify' , I realised this is not glorification but a traggic truth to learn from history, lesson to learn for all, State, Separatist, those sitting outside country and promoting K... and all fellow Indians and Punjabis in particular. Thank u
Thank you Shekhar ji. For reliving those painful memories.. You are right when you say we all need to know our past to derive lessons and not repeat the mistakes
I grew up reading India Today . It’s a privilege for my sons generation to be told these stories by you . They don’t make journalists like you any more . You are our Shirer
shekhar Gupta ji aapko punjab ki bahut tension rehti hai , achi baat hai….Lakin kabhi aap story karoghe ke 2% brahmin baniya ki population hai India mai or 80% media, Supreme court or BJP ke cabinet or RSS pe kaisa control kiya huya hai??
In India like in in Africa & other colonies, Britishers/Europeans wanted to sustain colonization so they put their local puppets in power!! Putting Congress/Nehru in power were part of the British plan!! Congress then made colonial anti Hindu media & history books!!
@@086wolf Because of tradition and merit. Division of labor, basically. For social order, cohesion, specialization and harmony. Everyone did his thing and lived well. Well, mostly. By the way, Brahmins are 5% of India's population. Baniyas are 7%. Brahmins have traditionally been the educated class, and Baniyas have the money. Of course, Merit matters too. Modi, for example. If Chanakya was a great Minister, Chandragupta was a great king too. Mahakavi Kalidas, the greatest Poet of Bharat, was a Kuruba, a shepherd. Why just RSS, the Communist parties are led by the Brahmins too, and so (is) does Congress. It's like the the 15% Ashraf Muslims ahead of the 85% Pasmanda Muslims. It's the 80:20 rule, aka the Pareto Principle. It's the same in any country or company, society or social grouping. Take Uttar Pradesh. Even after a Social Justice revolution, the Jatavs in UP are in a better position than the other Dalits. The Yadavs are in a better position than many OBCs. That's why, the laggards in the Dalit Community call for reservations among the Reserved Category. The Forward among the Dalits must help the much more backward among their bretheren because they are beneficiaries of social justice and must be kind enough to forego reservations and let the more unfortunate have them.
@@086wolf Have you qualified for becoming any of these professionals? Are you talented enough ? Or your only talent is complaining like most Sikhs of Punjab?
@@086wolf sun chutiye Teri community kaise dalla bangai.Pak se le leta Khalistaan.
Just a suggestion to ThePrint team. I think SG should be doing a separate series called "SG Files", a recollection of his interesting experiences & stories of all his reportage, rather than making this CTC.
@@japneetsingh5015 Chal vag.
@@japneetsingh5015 Pakistan mai banega khalistan we sanatanis will support
Liberate Pakistan occupied Khalistan !!
@@japneetsingh5015 calm down pajeet, go back to your truck or uber driving job
@@japneetsingh5015 Go do comedy 🤣 😂
Honestly, this was gut wrenching. SG's narration brings out the pain of a horrendous time in Indian history, which we hope and wish never ever happens again.
This is unfinished business and will be taken care of in its totality. Only time will tell what we are made up of. We do not forget and we do not forgive... My children and their children and their children will be reminded time and again until the time is ripe. Wait and watch.
Gut wrenching because he drones on and on
@@ParminderSingh-ft3ccAbsolutely. This is unfinished.
I almost cried while listening to this. This has to be a master class in journalism. Mr. Gupta I just tell you how envious I am of you. Although I work as a IT professional I once dreamt of being a journalist and oh my god you are so fortunate to see so many unfortunate stories in front of you and tell us the young generation like dadu or Nanu would tell us about family legacy. Along with CTC please give us something from your stories atleast once a week.
Episode is epitome of honest experiences and I am grateful for you to share them. Life is short to learn from mistakes, especially when they have already been made before.
Thank you doctor sahib. Stay well and happy. And yes, we must record our mistakes so we don’t repeat them. Stay well..shekhar
The mention of 26 Madras was significant to me. My battalion took over the Kargil Defended Area from 26 Madras in 1995. I had the privilege as a 2nd Lieutenant (we had that rank back then) - "baby of the battalion" as you put it - of being part of the advance party and of taking over a company post from (then) Capt Shanmugham of 26 Madras.
Thankyou for your service Sir .
Our academy Subedar Major SM Pillai too was from the same unit. He was awarded an SM/ SC for this operation.
Thank You for your service.
Thank you for your service sir......Jai Hind
shekhar Gupta ji aapko punjab ki bahut tension rehti hai , achi baat hai….Lakin kabhi aap story karoghe ke 2% brahmin baniya ki population hai India mai or 80% media, Supreme court or BJP ke cabinet or RSS pe kaisa control kiya huya hai??
For me the best videos are those where Shekhar sir just tells us an interesting story.
@@japneetsingh5015
Ok bro.
Now calm down.
@@japneetsingh5015 khalistan Zindabaad, lindustan murdabaad
@@manteshsharma9351 lol 🤣.
@@a141tho2 and most important to know what went wrong in reality nit what Mr ganju shekhar thinks so
Please more of these Mr SG, no one does it better than you, thank you for all you do to keep us better informed.
Thank you for watching...best wishes, Shekhar
As a country with a very large population that were either too young, remote or not born it is so important (perhaps gory) to know this chapter so recent yet not in memory of many... Everytime killings of any kind from mob lynching to riots to anything it's our people dying .. there can be better ways to co-exist.. must we see such things again and have another generation of traumatized indians before we be careful in how unaccommodating we are (self check thing)
Thank you Shekar and print team
And sorry about your traumas ... It's easy to forget that a journalist must have such profound mental impact on them so also appreciation and gratitude for the years persistent work
I was a witness to these sad and unfortunate events in 83-84. Thanks Shekhar Gupta for a very hard hitting account. It has brought tears to my eyes.
This is an absolute gem. A documented history which can be preserved and can be shared with generations. Love your episodes and it’s my morning routine while I get ready for work.
Incredibly detailed story telling by SG leaving unforgettable imprints in the mind. “Moral dimension to leadership“ in intrinsic to military leadership and is so much different from what we generally see in business and political leadership . But on rare occasions when moral dimension of leadership is actually there in a business or political leader, the result is magical.
Learnings of Leadership actually stems from military leadership.
Thank you SG for a wonderful episode of CTC.
Thank you Awadhesh ji for your kind words. Thanks also for being there…Shekhar
Shekar Gupta - you are a national treasure!! 👏🏿
I was only 7 yrs old back then…and living in south India. My knowledge of this history has been poor. Your recent episodes on the current situation in Punjab couching it in historical context has been a brilliant history lesson! A history that our citizens, especially younger ones should know, and wow to never let happen again.
Kudos to your entire team for this brilliant piece.
I’m renewing my subscription!
Thank you Ajay. These are very kind words. Encouraged, I might do another one or two on Punjab in coming days! Stay well…shekhar
@@ThePrintIndia can you make video on Punjab Police Fake encounters .
25,000 Fake encounters .
@@ThePrintIndia Why dont tell about the Human rights violation done by army.
And why dont you discuss tghat the operation was Blunder
I had streams of tears flowing through my eyes at the end of the episode. Thank you SG for such a detailed report. We can never fully understand the magnitude of the catastrophe of 1984 and the aftermath.
Thanks for such wonderful story telling!
Dear Naveen,
Glad that you liked this episode of CTC. Thank you for supporting our journalism.
Mr. SG, i grew up reading India today and honestly, your columns were the most favourite. This two part episode is like a movie and nobody could have done this better than you. Thank you so much for shedding light on this very important & painful history of our country 🙏
General Shabeg Singh didn't merely believe that he was victimized, he was actually victimized and dismissed, without any court marshal, from army disrespectfully just before the day of his retirement. He was acquitted of all the charges against him by Supreme Court. This shows that the story told by you couldn't be believed wholly as you might have missed or manipulated many things deliberately.
What a solid narration Mr Shekhar. This brings back the memory of those horrific times we all Punjabis lived through. Have always tried to encourage the younger generation to stay away from radicalism but your narration of facts is powerful and I hope and pray that all Punjabis watch this more so the young ones. Regards
I am from Kangra district in adjoining HP, in 1984/85 I was 5-6 years and have this very hazy memory. A person had come to our house to buy our buffalo and he asked about my uncle who was in Army… my Grandfather told him that he was in posted in Punjab, and my grandmother started crying into her chador… ‘Punjab ech bare halle paye hun… jwala mata mere putt-e-yo bchaiye rakheyaan’ (Punjab has lot of noise going on, O jwala ma keep my son safe). Everyone was consoling the old lady… I did not understand any of the stuff then but the memory lingered on… now I see the undercurrents. It horrific that a section of people want to bring that horror back
Hindu Azad Muslim Azad why not Sikhs? The hindu betrayed the Sikhs and history show Sikhs will never accept anything less than their rightful freedom. Indian state media will tell you it's narrative the truth is somewhat different. Dhanwad.
Rajput hoke jung to darh da?
@@gurjotsingh8934 Kaka ki ho gya? Larh da jaa darda , kehna ki chaunna ae ?
These types of episodes are real treasure for historians and history enthusiasts, be it even nightmare we need them to be recorded to learn from past and prevent repetition
Shekar Sir, once again this episode of 1984 was memorable and hope punjab does not fall into the same trap of what we have seen in 80s’ & 90s’. Looks like Amirtpal and his sympathizers has not learnt lessons from past mistakes. Very sad to see people falling into ISI hands like this.
@MR SINGH kaun brahmin hai idhar? Na PM, na President, na the chiefs of all 3 armed forces. Bhagwan ne diya hai dimag toh use karle zara🤦♂️
shekhar Gupta ji aapko punjab ki bahut tension rehti hai , achi baat hai….Lakin kabhi aap story karoghe ke 2% brahmin baniya ki population hai India mai or 80% media, Supreme court or BJP ke cabinet or RSS pe kaisa control kiya huya hai??
Thank you. Thee is a crisis but it isn’;’t at all at the same level as the eighties. But we have to ensure we do not repeat errors of the past…stay well..shekhar
Dear Mr Shekhar Gupta,
Let me share a personal story. On April 13, 1919, a young Sikh boy who had gone to Jalianwala Bagh in Amritsar to listen to leaders of freedom movement. He survived that day by hiding under pile of dead bodies. Later in his life served n the Central government’s defense department as a superintendent. After his retirement he went back to Punjab. A few days before blue star, totally oblivious to political happenings and turmoil, this 75 year old and near blind man went to Amritsar to get his cataract surgery done. He stayed in Sarai as he usually did it in the past. Because of the marshal law like situation people got stuck wherever they were at the moment. Many army soldiers dragged people out of the Sarai and killed them summarily, this old Sikh included. He survived the British at Jalianwala Bagh but was killed by his own army whom he had served. He was my Grandfather’s brother.
Ours was a patriotic family. My grandfather was a member of Gadar party fighting British at age 15. Other members of family served in Army as well.
For Noone it matters that this was all planned to kill Sikhs. All they want to use K word.
At present no hindu is punished for saying to Sikhs that should we remind you guys 1984? This statement is no offence but if you use K use, you are dangerous anti-nationalists and terrorists.
my question is how do you know that the 75 year old man along others was dragged and killed by the army?? bcoz the dead man tells no tale...
Well, the truth is terrible things happened in those three days. My condolences and sympathies. I do hope and pray such a tragedy never revisits us…thanks for writing in…shekhar
You guys have to believe that the army did this to Pilgrims because there are hundreds of interviews of the surviving Pilgrims who say that the army killed the Pilgrims without any reason. I saw no one who said that Sikhs shot anyone directly other than the army.
@@j_brar_shayri Please read about Hindu passengers being pulled out of buses by Sikh extremists and being shot in cold blood ..
39 years ago when I had to walk 28 kms to my home on 31st October, I wondered if I could ever get to know the real story of what lead to the death of Mrs. Gandhi. Thanks to SG I now have a better understanding of the events regrettably with the loss of so many lives.
One of the best episodes. Young even though I was, I cannot forget the horrible happenings of 1984.
Thanks! Shekhar. I'm reading you since college ( Indian Express days). And you are absolutely delight to read/listen.
Dear Nitan,
Thank you for being an avid reader of Mr Gupta's columns. Do keeping tuning in to ThePrint for more.
Yes, this format of story telling is way more profound then just a drab fact rattlings. I urge you to keep them coming. Very engrossing tale though quite unfortunate.
Thanks!
The small Sikh community in the south were also affected and not to be forgotten. I was 7, but remember seeing the burnt Gurudwara at Coimbatore, and it still makes me angry.
Yes, in fact I’ve been to a colony called Gill Nagar in Chennai too. This was a time of national trauma…thanks for writing in, and stay well..Shekhar
Back in '84 my father was posted in Trivandrum. He had gone to Trivandrum railway station to board a train back home to Mumbai (via Andhra in those days). He saw a large group of men chasing someone with seemingly violent intentions. He later realised that they were rioters trying to kill an innocent turbaned Sikh. That's when it struck him how bad the situation was.
As a Sikh and a daughter of a serving Indian army officer and the niece of the DC Amritsar during Blue Star, this narration hit very deeply. I study IR at The Fletcher school in the US and writing my thesis on the subject and although I’m overwhelmed while reading through articles and books for my research, this episode had me in tears. Thank you so much for your journalism sir, it’s a rarity and I pray God that it’s not lost on our future generations.
@@meharmandher1210 Even sikh army officers in U.P were not spared.There were many cases even house of Aurora sir(Hero of bangladesh liberation) was attacked.
Thanks! This was very informative can you please continue with this series im very interested in this history and the experiences you are sharing, also I trust you as a source that I believe. I hear a lot from everywhere but I your information I trust so please continue with this series because it will help people understand and make an informed discussion.
Hi,
Happy to note that you liked this episode of CTC. Thank you for contributing to our journalism.
Thank you Sir. Your well articulated stories and points of view on important events in our history are deeply enriching. I wish this flow of content from you never stops.
After listening to ur experience, general brar's interview and subramanian swamy 's interview my conclusion so far is that Russia inspired Indira Gandhi to take on this Mission (high chances), bhinder wala wasn't pure separatist but govt thought him to be a threat, whole situation was created by incompetence govt in center and state, army was sent at the last moment when everything was mess, army tried their best to solve the situation with less casualties but they couldn't handle the mission properly.
A mistrust appeared from both sides, sikhs now hated Hindus and Indians were fed that Sikhs were separatist.
Hind Sight is always 20/20.
Perhaps this is the most honest coverage of 1984 Punjab I ever have seen .
Surely you have made your name in history because of unbiased and unopinionted journalism of the tragic incident that happened in Punjab and northeastern states.
Hats off to Shekar Gupta. This two part ctc has finally convinced me to take a membership.
My respects to the old school journalism and the style of story telling. Riveting.
The content is gut wrenching, the knowledge it shares vital.
Again, thanks for bringing this gem of an episode to us.
Thank you very much. You are very kind. And yes, it is also gut-wrenching for when I tell this story. Stay well..shekhar
Thanks
Dear Prashant,
Thank you for supporting our journalism.
What a brilliant narration. I wish my dad would be alive to share this video with, he would have simply loved it. Watching, sharing n discussing ur ctc n ni videos was one such passion we shared as father daughter. I missed him today while watching this
Well said…
I have seen every episode of CTC in the last 3 years and the ongoing 4-5 episode series on Punjab (including the Amritpal ones) is one of the best, keep it up, Shekhar ji.
The "quote" by Lt Col Panikkar mentioned by you is one that any Indian Army officer would give you sir.
We are trained in the spirit of leading from the front. In the Indian Army, it is not considered something extraordinary if an officer leads from the front. It's just what s/he is expected to do.
The Chetwode credo of Nation First, Troops second and self last is something that we common believe in.
You may be right. BUT this is not a common knowledge outside of army. Today I have learned this.
Thank you. You are so right…good to be talking with you again…shekhar
Never had goosebumps listening to a news like narration. You are a great story teller, Shekhar Ji, and one of the best journalists our country shall ever see.
Absolutely epic two episodes. Shekharji, listening to your stories is blood-chilling. Makes me very thankful for my desk job and thankful that there are people like you who left such desk jobs to do some incredible work!!
I was so eagerly damn waiting for this thing in office I was just thinking such an awesome story teller our shekar sir😊
@@japneetsingh5015 khalistani madrchd...tere khalistan ki ammi ka bhosda
@@japneetsingh5015 you are just behave like those RSS Or VHP terrorists...
@@japneetsingh5015with Lahore as it’s capital.
@@MSav1988 Give us Chandigarh first then we will take Lahore.
@@prabhbatth2440 we will give chandigarh, but first ask for Lahore.
Hard to hold back tears listening to this! We as a nation cannot afford to slip back into this again.
Yea but we will
Very well narrated.
Show's why Mr. Shekhar Gupta is one of the most respected journalists in the country.
You are doing a great service to our generation by giving a holistic view of that dark period
Not many journalists can recount the saddest days of Independent India in such a bipartisan manner, including the sacrifice of Indian Army personnel, so eloquently. Dear Shekhar Gupta, you are doing a great job, far better than any journalist could be credited with. We look forward to more of such detailed accounts of our recent history.
One of your best videos, Sekhar Guptaji! You've packed so much of information and emotions in this video. Salute to you Sir! I'm proud and happy to be the Print subscriber!
Thank you @giridharanvelamore…the faith and support of wonderful people like you keeps us going…state well…Shekhar
I have perhaps not watched any other of the CTC with such unwavering attention, just trying soak in each word of your first hand experience and unbiased view of the situation. Thank you for this glimpse in history so many from my seem to have forgotten.
Wow! SG has seen so much in life! Captivating story telling and hope we all learn from history
Dear Mr. Gupta,
Please DO NOT STOP this channel's/medium's way of communication. News, lessons & history told in its best way.
Thank You Shekhar.
Please do more of these. Fascinating stories of India’s history.
Excellently narrated. People like me wore the army uniform those terrible days. We lost our Sikh comrades butchered after Blue Star. Many of them were decorated officers and men. It even divided the apolitical army. Thank you Sir. We need one on our IPKF operations🙏
Thank you for writing in Achal. I can imagine how traumatic it must have been for you. I shall do something on IPKF in the course of time for sure…stay well…shekhar
CTC episodes 1197 and 1198 will remain etched in my memory for a long long time to come.
I have read your write- up in the Punjab Story book. Brilliant writing. And you are on the dot when you say Punjab is probably the most important national issue at the moment. Thank you!
Sir do continue this series till Operation black Thunder by KPS Gill. Pls cover who were the remaining militants, who was their leader etc
Thank you Shekhar Ji , CTC is becoming a national treasure for future generations! This is history that all Indians need to learn-it's imperative to understand the horrors and to prevent this from ever occurring again. As in 1984, the root cause is support from across the border feeding on discontent within and funding it. Hope and pray that the Gov is able to find a lasting and amicable solution to problems as we root this out once and forever. This is the time for India's greatness to shine and we cannot afford internal strife and conflict!
Thanks for writing in. These are stories from forty years ago. I hope we do not repeat the blunders of that generation…thanks also for your support…and stay well..shekhar
Sant jairnail singh bhindrawale was the bravest saint soldier of 20th century
My respect and admiration for your journalism has only gone up sir. The recollection is so raw and gory..you were right there.. Every word every sentence reflects it. Thank you again 🙏
these 2 parts were absolutely amazing storytelling...thanks for this, for a person born so long after these incidents, it gives such clear insight on what would have happened in those days.
Slowly and surely becoming a fan of Sekhar Gupta. Respect.
I've been looking forward to part 2.
Thank you Shekhar for sharing your memories with us. I have no words to describe how I feel after hearing your narration. May peace reign long over our beloved Punjab.
I don't usually comment, but this was so interesting to listen albeit unfortunate to happen. Will definitely watch more such episodes. Repeatedly.
Thankyou so much @thePrint for starting this series and enlightening us with what all happened during that time frame
Eagerly waiting for your video love your unbiased reporting.
These two were possibly the best videos I have watched on this channel. Thank you for making them
Shekhar your story telling is amazing..as if I'm seeing everything in front of my eyes.
This is a great account of a chilling chapter from India's history. Journalism can't get better than this.
Brilliant n honest portrayal of the most tragic post independent era, not easy revisiting nightmares of millions and Yours too, I am still very saddened for that chapter of our forgettable history
As someone who has watched probably every epidose of Shekar Gupta's CTC, I think these two episodes (along with the one on Nelli in Assam maybe) are, in my opinion, the finest/best episodes of CTC. Brilliant writing, really great insights of the entire Bluestar operation and the miscalcualtions of the army. I moved to the US in 1979 and never really had an opportunity in the prei-Internet age to read the brilliant coverage that SG did for India Today and so was completely unaware of the details he presented. Brilliant work, Shekhar. I love you pieces that are on subjects like these where you really bring insights that are rare. I am not very fond of your CTC episodes on the Covid virus or on the economics/financial sector where you often seem uneasy or not so confident.Or maybe it is because I am a B-school professor I find those finance/economics episodes somewhat less satisfying.. I really enjoy the ones that really showcase your brilliant reporting, personal analysis and analysis. I guess we are aboutthe same age roughly and I really appreciate what you bring to your fabs on CYC. I have been critical of your use of Americanisms such as "Push comes to THE shove" (there is no THE there in usage!) and so on.But wher eyou really are way above teh rest is when you are grounded in the reporting that yo have done. Great job! This is really outstanding!
Deeply saddening events. May we never ever face such an event on our soil...
Absolutely loved this two-part episode on Op Bluestar. Now onto reading the Punjab Story 1984. Eagerly waiting for your next episode on Mrs Gandhi Death and Anti Sikh Riots
30 mins felt like 10 mins or so. At the end, I was left yearning for more. Shekhar Gupta's videos are like novels or mini movies. There's a build up, twists and all that. Also minute details like 'the body had beads of perspiration' made it visual for us.
Incredible story. Explained with such passion. One of the best cut the clutters.
Sir you are a font of knowledge! Please keep bringing more of these story telling episodes! Hope we learn from history & don't repeat the mistakes again! As an added bonus I got several book suggestions! Thank you!
The best and finest yet gut wrenching episodes of cut the clutter.
The end made me crazy ❤
By 2030, I predict the print would generate more money through cut the clutter than any other revenue streams they have !
This is a gold mine.
Ranveer Aalahbadia has a good video on the khalistan movement. Mr GBS Sidhu gave good information
Absolutely essential to publish some more episodes of cut the clutter on this topic as you are promising. You indeed are roving the chaff and telling the story without any clutter. Keep it up. Thanks 🙏
Pls continue the stories of 1984, a tumultuous year in indian and Sikh history. Given a very balanced story telling by SG, I would like is for him to end with the “moral of the story”. I would like to hear from SG why did Bhindranwale fight ? Context is missing in his story…ao pls construct and share that viewpoint as well, so people get an start to end view
b
I think as Shekhar ji said Bhindranwale considered himself the incarceration of all that is holy. But in reality he chose to sacrifice Harmandir sahib. He was no saint.
@@bhautikparekh7627 you've spoken like a true hindu coward, who is to scared to stand up to state sponsored terrorism, corrupt useless lying politicians / leaders and security forces who abuse their power and commit human rights violations at will. You would have made a very obedient british subject during the raj.
Your story telling style of accounts is simply amazing. You are a jewel in today’s age of hollow journalism!
Massive respect to General Sundar Krishnamurty,he insured no artifacts were targeted at the golden temple even making sure soldiers took out there boots before the assault begun
His name is Krishnaswamy Sundarji, a legendary general and a fine scholar.
Then check the images soldiers with their boots on and the sikh reference library was also burnt
@@rravisankar3355 " legendary general and a fine scholar."
Probably good only for large-scale army operations like Operation Chequerboard.
What happened during Operation Blue Star was nothing short of incompetence. Those commanding generals so callously used the fighting men under their command as literal cannon fodder!
@@rydhampreetsingh113 i dont understand thsi guy is in favour of bhindrawala or against?
@@rravisankar3355 Yes sorry bro,got the name messed up
Thank you for bringing these stories alive with anecdotes and narration. Important history lesson that we all ought to know and etch in memory. Waiting for more episodes!
Thank You Shekher.. I just hope the young Sikh kids who're romanticising with the ideas of Kalistani and Amritpal will see your video series and learn the most basic lesson that violence breeds violence. They're but toys in the hands of enemy of the estate and only they can break this chain of killings.
Yehi agr shivaji maharaj sochte violence breed violence. Krishna ji bhi bss bansuri nhi rakhte the chakra bhi hota tha.
Correct... Violence breeds violence...
Now decide who started it all
@@ravisingh7928 Bindi wala started all this in cahoots with then congress cronies.
This was a really good account. I think a lot of things are very glossed over by the military. When Kuldip Brar went around & asked soldiers if they could be excused on religious grounds from taking part in this operation this amounts to more of an ultimatum. No soldier could refuse. His livelihood is at stake. Any soldier who opted out would have been court marshalled. Career over. No matter all this Jai Jawaan talk soldering is a job a transaction. In the Kanwaar Sandhu series he tells you more about the particular Sikh soldier who accepted the award. It remained in the box it came in. The misreading by the army & the mocking they gave the individual who warned the military that Bindranwala will fight to the end says all you need to know. I’ve actually placed an order for the Edward Behr book. It’s a rare thing I think. The Punjab Story I have.
Mr. Gupta, as a former soldier and a Sikh, I take strong exception to your characterising the conduct of OP Bluestar as incompetent. With 40 years of hindsight, you cannot call the action incompetent without proposing an alternative approach that was not adopted. If your assertion is that tanks and howitzers should have been used from the get go, can you imagine the furor it would have caused. Please don't be a Monday morning quarterback in what is otherwise stellar storytelling on your part. We had to incur the casualties we did to show that the escalation was gradual and forced not intended. Else, they could have simply used the airforce and avoided all military casualties. Please stick to your knitting when opining on such specialist matters and recognise the lack of any accompanying rationale to show what was not done that made the conduct of operation bluestar incompetent. Keep up the good work sir.
Exactly sir
Well, some of us wrote this early on. But, with operations like these and the benefit of hindsight there will always be many arguments. I respect yours too. If we meet some day we can talk in greater detail. Thanks for writing in, and thanks for your support… warm regards, shekhar
And this why SG is one of the best journalists ever !
@ SHEKHAR- there is not a SHRED of evidence that Bhindrawale EVER espoused / asked for khalistan ; In all his speeches / press edicts he maintained that Sikhs wnat to live with dignity and honor as equal citizens of India. His main emphasis was ALWAYS the Anandpur Sahib resolution which RIGHTLY calls for a FEDERAL structure among other justifiable demands / issues of Punjab and Punjabis (NOT JUST SIKHS). There are scores of speeches of bhindrawale on the internet wherein he openly calls for a struggle for implementing the Anandpur sahib resolution and NEVER ever calls for Khalistan. In fact there is a video in which Sukhjinder Singh Khera ( father of Congress leader Sukhpal Khera) TRIES to raise the BOGEY of khalistan and a red faced bhindrawale has him shut up and made to sit down mid speech ! There is no doubt Bhindrawale was a radical and a right wing divisive personality and maybe he/ his followers had committed crimes. But this issue of painting him as the poster child of Khalistan is a pure media creation. In Oct 1983 there was a dastardly and evil killing of Hindu bus passengers in Dhilwan (the first of 7 or 8 such killings that happened in Punjab over 12-13 years of violence. This was used as the justification by the Central Govt and Indira Gandhi to dismiss the Darbara Singh government ( Congress) and impose Presidents rule. And who was the first person to condemn this - bhindrawale himself. for 4 decades the media has used the bogey of Khalistan and Bhindrawale to target the Sikhs and Sikh identity in general - I am no supporter of Bhindrawale nor have i ever espoused Khalistan. But there are scores of genuine State issues/ disputes which the centre has ridden roughshod over and denied the rights to Punjab. It is this simmering discontent that keeps boiling over in Punjab and unfortunately is continuously exploited by the political forces. Sikhs want to live in peace and with dignity in ALL parts of India- not just Punjab. We have made innumerable sacrifices for this country and the blind hubris of power and arrogance of a head strong PM, her coterie and self serving bureaucrats led to unimaginable loss of life inside and outside Punjab. By all accounts Bhindrawale had roughly 150 odd men with rifles and a few LMGs - did we need multiple army divisions, tanks and helicopters to flush them ? And Shekhar conveniently forgot to mention that the day chosen for the attack on June 5 was the martyrdom day of Guru Arjun- why ? when thousands of innocent pilgrims were inside ? were the army generals so incompetent and complete morons or this was designed to crush the spirit and psyche of the Sikhs and "teach them a lesson".. Unless there is honest reporting and Indians truly are informed about what happened and why the wounds just dont heal and this kind of "gloss over" reporting is meant to only present what we already have heard millions of times ad nauseam..
shekhar - willing to give u complete, inside unbiased accurate facts if u have the guts to share and report
sikhs has the same right as anyone else from any community...and ASR was nothing but a theocratic secessionist document demanding direct involvement of akaal takht in everyday state politics where not jst sikhs lived but other communities also...
@@mrsingh8515 "People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive." i suggest u to listen to self made historian ajmer singh ....yaha facts aur proof ki baatein hogi ye tumhare samajh nhi aani
Sandhu sahib the iisues in Panjab needed a political solution,most of this crisis was choreographed from Delhi and Chandigarh.Mrs. Gandhi took deliberate actions to cause a Hindu Sikh divide,Sikh Nirankari divide, Akali Damdami Taqsal divide,so on and so forth. Operation Blue Star was a ploy to punish Sikhs and make it look like a Bangladesh type of victory,basically to win Hindu vote.Period.
@@attuldeshwwal i do my own research..and im not a propornt of khalistan or any separatist ideology- IT is PEOPLE LIKE U WHO HAVE BLINDFOLDS..pls open ur eyes and call an injustice as it is.. its been 42 years since the genocide of sikhs in delhi and rest of inidia- the bastards who killed and raped thousands have been protected by the indian state- as a HUMAN being ( not sikh or hindu or any other identity) that is an abominable truth and im sure dumbasses like u will find justification for such atrocities also- which is what given birth to separatist ideologies in minorities.. open ur eyes and mind
I was 6 years old when this happened and living in UK. I remember hearing that Indira Gandhi was as assassinated because the day was my birthday. Thank you for telling this story so that those of us who did not live through it can understand.
More I hear this the more I believe in REAL education (NOT IELTS) is so important for both sides of the Punjab. No disrespect-but it looks special idiots in the Punjab region, both India & Pakistan. Why would you have fertile land but still hell bent on fighting in the name of religion or dominance?? In my state we dont have water even for rice or sugarcane but no one talks about fighting instead on the importance of education as a escape. But in Punjab too much idiocy due to too much wealth & brawn but absolutely no brain.
Stop your stereotype Mr majority hindutva
@@Vizorfam what is hindutva? Do u know?
@@Vizorfam This is what I hear from Pakistani's too. Any criticism its always Hindutva🤣🤣In south we have multiple terms for people like you-the easiest is the 3 monkeys ( I am being kind). Neither me or my state is going to be affected but common Punjabis. Learn to accept criticism even if it is wrong
@@Vizorfam what did he suggested make you feel he is a HINDUTVA
@@tejesheconomics4072 I follow a great deal of news around the world & I am amazed at the radicalism/fanaticism of some overseas Sikhs. Every religion has fanatics and usually change in environment i.e. country broadens your perspective. But Sikhs overseas seem more religious & they believe in expressing their devotion through muscle & hate. Here I amazed at the logic presented by SG about Bhindrawale/Punjabis & immediately I am labelled Hindutva. On the other hand we are generational farmers struggling for water even to feed the livestock (but still farming) which has been persistent for several decades & here is a fertile land but fanatics hell bent on shedding blood.
Shekhar Sir, you are one of the best story tellers. The first hand account you have provided is so good. Hatsoff to you.
How did issue come up after AAP came into power..... I will challenge your moral and unbiased news ..... you won't do it .....SG is a Leftist reporter
I like to read history but the events that you shared from your first hand experiences were mind numbing, Shekar, you’ve shone the floodlight on a dark event of our recent past. Appreciate the references of books written by respected soldiers and reporters like you. You quoted George Santayana “Those who don’t learn (from) history are doomed to repeat it” needs to be taken seriously. Your presentation was superb and attention grabbing. 🙏🏾
_My hero was KPS GILL. He was instrumental in bringing down the khalistani movement_
A dark chapter in the history of modern, brilliantly narrated with a humane perspective. Mr. Shekhar Gupta speaks this episode like a poet singing a tragic poem. He is a living book of history. I am interested to know more. Please create more episode on this incident. Thanks.
The demand of hindu rashtra is also wrong and all those who support it do so to harass minorities also Sikh community will never forget that operation!! What things the minorities of this country face is disturbing
This BS propagated again and again. I dont support Hindu rastra but this nonsense is pure BS to the core. Sikhs are fighting before & after because their holy temple was assaulted inspite of them starting first. However if Hindu asked for their holiest temple makes them fanatic. I can go & on this..didnt you hear how & what Bhindrawale said about Hindu's??? and there was no RSS Or BJP was in 1984, how do you justify the hindu hate or hindu's murdered in 1984???
Humans don't need big reason for fighting. They fight over religion caste language country gender and so on....
Hindu Rashtra includes land stolen by Pakistan. Khalistan is ISI project thus excludes Lahore which is important for Sikhism. Hindu Rashtra asks for unification, Khalistan for secession.
What is a hindu rashtra ? But u already living in a hindu rashtra, there's a difference between rashtra and rajya educate yourself about basic Sanskrit but you won't obviously,
Now tell me again what the minorities in this country are not able to do ?
It’s not hindu rastra. It’s actually Hindi rastra, done to impose Hindi on non Hindi speaking Indians.
I listened to you just like would listen to my history teacher in school. My mum was a history Post Grad. I love listening to history lessons as we get to learn a lot from history and to not commit same mistakes in future
Moral of the story...if you choose to fight India, you are destined to lose. Sedition and waging a war against the state warrants Capitol punishment. Sorry and Jai Hind !
China left the chat
@@plsnh Yes, wetted its pants.
@@plsnh 2020
Sorry SG ji yesterday I said 'don't glorify' , I realised this is not glorification but a traggic truth to learn from history, lesson to learn for all, State, Separatist, those sitting outside country and promoting K... and all fellow Indians and Punjabis in particular. Thank u
Bhindi Fry and Mritpal. Match made in Pakistan.
Hindu my dick fuck you
@@sigmamale6143 wow the common sense 🤧
Thank you Shekhar ji. For reliving those painful memories.. You are right when you say we all need to know our past to derive lessons and not repeat the mistakes