“Operation Blue Star Was a Mistake, Indira Gandhi Paid With Her Life,” Says P Chidambaram

New Delhi: In a candid reflection on one of India’s most controversial military operations, senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday termed Operation Blue Star a “mistake” and the “wrong way” to tackle the militancy crisis at Amritsar’s Golden Temple in 1984 — a decision, he said, that ultimately cost Prime Minister Indira Gandhi her life.

Speaking at a discussion on journalist Harinder Baweja’s book “They Will Shoot You, Madam” during the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, the 80-year-old leader reflected on the political and military missteps of that period.

“There was a way to retrieve and capture all the militants. But Operation Blue Star was the wrong way,” Chidambaram said. “I agree that Mrs (Indira) Gandhi paid with her life for that mistake. But that mistake was a cumulative decision of the army, police, the intelligence, and the civil service. You can’t blame only Mrs Gandhi,” he added.

The former finance minister clarified that his comments were not intended as criticism of the armed forces, but rather as a reflection on the handling of the crisis.

“No disrespect to any military officers here, but that (Blue Star) was a wrong way to retrieve the Golden Temple. Few years later, we showed the right way to retrieve the Golden Temple by keeping out the Army,” Chidambaram noted.

Chidambaram further said the real challenge in Punjab today is economic, not separatist in nature.

“My visits to Punjab have led me to believe that the political cry of Khalistan and separation has practically died down. The real problem is the economic situation… most illegal migrants are from Punjab,” he observed.

Operation Blue Star, launched on June 1, 1984, aimed to eliminate Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers who had taken refuge inside the Golden Temple. The operation, which ended on June 8, resulted in heavy casualties and damage to the Akal Takht, sparking deep resentment among the Sikh community. Just months later, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in retaliation.