Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was the leader of Damdami Taksal, a Sikh organization based in the India. He became famous in the late 1970s as a religious preacher. He was the leader of the Sikh group that occupied the Golden Temple of Amritsar and fought Indian government forces in Operation Blue Star.
He was widely believed to be a supporter of the creation of Khalistan, the proposed Sikh nation-state, but in a BBC interview he stated that if the government agreed to the creation of Khalistan, he would not refuse, what he mainly wanted was for Sikhs to be treated as equal citizens of India. However he said that no matter what, the moment a bullet hits the Akal Takht the foundation of Khalistan would be made
He established his headquarters in Akal Takht Sahib, next to the Golden Temple of Amritsar, when he found out that Indira Gandhi's government was planning to attack it. There he and his men engaged in a three-day battle with the attacking Army forces.
Other quotes attributed to Bhindranwale include 'we are not in favour of Khalistan nor are we against it.' Responding to the creation of Khalistan he is qouted as saying, 'We won't reject it.
It is alleged that Bhindranwale's squads were responsible for the killing of Lala Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind Samachar Group, publishers of the popular daily, Punjab Kesri, and a bitter critic of Bhindranwale and alleged to have written abusive words about Sikhs and Sikhism in his newpaper.
On October 15, Bhindranwale was released after the Home Minister, without inquiry or judicial process, announced to the Parliament that Bhindranwale was not involved in the murder of Lala Jagat Narain.
Bhindranwale was neither a terrorist mastermind nor secessionist and was not a protagonist of Khalistan.
Bhindranwale said it was because the Congress (and perhaps the Indian state itself) was anti-Sikh, but once again, this made no sense given that he had been raised to prominence by the same Congress he later opposed.
Bhindranwale established contact with the ISI, was armed by Pakistan and was on the verge of declaring an independent republic of Khalistan with Pakistani support when the Indian army killed him.
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