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Wednesday, 5 February 2014

No UK hand in Operation Blue Star, David Cameron assures Sikhs

LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday that there was "absolutely no direct involvement" of the UK government in the planning of the attack by the Indian Army on the Golden Temple in 1984.

Cameron issued a personal video message to the UK Sikh community and said, "There is absolutely no evidence of the UK Government involvement in the operation itself. This conclusion has been made after a thorough search of some 200 files and over 23,000 documents. I want the dialogue between this government and the Sikh community to continue."


He added, "British Sikhs have made and continue to make a vital contribution to our national life from serving in two world wars to running businesses and playing a massive part in our communities today. I never forget this. I am grateful for it."


Britain's 2011 census says UK is home to nearly 4.3 lakh Sikhs. In comparison, the 2001 Census showed 3.36 lakh Sikhs were settled in UK - a 28% increase in just a decade.


Cameron said, "Around 30 years ago, a great tragedy unfolded at the Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. Many lives were lost and the scars in the Sikh community still run deep. So when documents came to light a few weeks ago raising the possibility that the then UK Government was involved in the Indian Army's operation, I immediately set up an inquiry to find those answers."


Cameron added, "I hope the manner in which we have investigated these dreadful events will provide some reassurance to the Sikh community here in Britain and elsewhere."


The community was is also very politically active. Around 3 in 4 Sikhs have voted in different elections in the last 4 years. Around 2 in 3 voted in the 2010 general elections.


On Tuesday, Britain's foreign minister William Hague told the House of Commons that Britain had "advised" India to keep an element of surprise while executing Operation Blue Star and use helicopter-borne forces in order to ensure minimal casualties and bringing about "a swift resolution".


Hague said that Britain had sent a single British military adviser to India between Feb 8 and 17, 1984 to advise the Indian Intelligence Services and Special Group on contingency plans that they were drawing up for operations against armed dissidents in the temple complex, including ground reconnaissance of the site.


The investigation concluded "that the nature of the UK's assistance was purely advisory, limited and provided to the Indian government at an early stage in their planning".


Hague added that the advice "had limited impact" with the cabinet secretary finding "no evidence in the files or from discussion with officials involved that any other form of UK military assistance - such as equipment or training - was given to the Indian authorities".


The three-day military operation codenamed Operation Blue Star took place in June 1984. Official Indian government figures estimate that 575 people died. Other reports suggest as many as 3,000 people were killed including pilgrims caught in the cross-fire.






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