6 June 1984: The Indian Army storms the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Called Operation Bluestar, the historic and unprecedented event ended
the growing spectre of terrorism perpetrated by the extremist Sikh
leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers once and for all.
But it left in its wake unsolved political questions that continued to
threaten Punjab's stability for years to come. How, in a brief span of
three years, did India's dynamic frontier state become a national
problem? Who was to blame: the central government for allowing the
crisis to drift despite warnings, or the long-drawn-out Akali agitation,
or the notorious gang of militants who transformed a holy shrine into a
sanctuary for terrorists? First published two months after Operation
Bluestar, The Punjab Story pieces together the complex Punjab jigsaw
through the eyes of some of India's most eminent public figures and
journalists. Writing with the passion and conviction of those who were
involved with the drama, they present a wide-ranging perspective on the
past, present and future of the Punjab tangle; and the truth of many of
their'conclusions having been borne out by time.
