Punjab crisis

The essentials

The 1966 reorganisation created a Punjabi-speaking state, but some issues remained. In 1973 the Anandpur Sahib Resolution was passed at a conference of the Akali Dal. It called for regional autonomy and a redefinition of Centre–state relations, and spoke of the aspirations of the Sikh community. The resolution was interpreted differently by different groups; some militant groups later raised a separatist demand.

Key points

• In the early 1980s violence increased, and militant groups set up bases inside the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.
• In June 1984 the Government of India carried out Operation Blue Star, an army action in the Golden Temple complex to remove the militants. The operation caused damage to the shrine and deeply hurt the feelings of many Sikhs.
• On 31 October 1984 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards. In the days that followed, violence broke out against the Sikh community in Delhi and other parts of north India; in Delhi alone more than 2,000 Sikhs were killed. Many victims' families waited a long time for justice.
• In July 1985 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Akali Dal president Harchand Singh Longowal signed the Punjab Accord (Rajiv Gandhi–Longowal Accord). It agreed that Chandigarh would be transferred to Punjab, that a commission would settle the boundary dispute with Haryana, that a tribunal would decide on sharing the waters of the Ravi and Beas, and that victims of militancy would be compensated.
• Violence continued for some years, and Longowal was himself killed in 1985. Peace returned gradually by the mid-1990s, and elections helped restore normal politics.

Exam tips

• Learn the sequence: Anandpur Sahib Resolution (1973), Operation Blue Star (June 1984), assassination (October 1984), Punjab Accord (1985).
• Know the main terms of the Punjab Accord.

Common mistakes

• Thinking the Anandpur Sahib Resolution was a demand for a separate country; it called mainly for autonomy and federal changes.
• Confusing the Punjab Accord with the Assam Accord, both signed in 1985.