Photo Credit : Sat Pal Danish ( Caravan Magazine )
Who moved my army?
How Punjab was handed over to the army during Op Blue Star ? What Happened from June 3 to 6, 1984 ? tells RI Singh , the Then DC of Amritsar
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.....How did I come into picture? Originally of the West Bengal cadre of the IAS, I was posted to Punjab in July 1978 as the additional deputy commissioner, Faridkot.
In May 1984, while I was posted as director, rural development and panchayat, Punjab, I was sounded by KD Vasudeva, the then Punjab chief secretary, for a posting at Amritsar. Gurdev Singh Brar had applied for ex-India leave in April and booked tickets to go to the US on June 8. Events, however, overtook Gurdev’s itinerary.
Photo Credit : Sat Pal Singh ( Carvan Magazine )
On June 3, the chief secretary directed me to proceed to Amritsar and take charge as district magistrate, which I did the next day, while Brar left for Delhi en route to the US......
...Pooni was initially reluctant, but signed the letter on the direction of the governor, seeking “immediate action” by the army in aid to civil authority. General Sundarji was invited to the Raj Bhawan and the requisition letter was handed over to him by the governor.
The army was now formally authorised to act. The Punjab State Disturbed Areas Act, in force since October 1983, had conferred power on security forces to arrest, to break in any premises, search and seize. No other formal order by the district magistrate/s was required, nor was it issued by any deputy commissioner of the state for operations in 38 gurdwaras, including Golden Temple.....
Read full article at Hindustan Times link :
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
(The writer was the Amritsar deputy commissioner during Operation Bluestar in 1984. He retired as chief secretary and served as chief information commissioner of Punjab. Views expressed are personal.)
Photo Credit : Sat Pal Singh ( From Carvan Magazine )
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Ramesh Inder Singh, Former DC Amritsar and Former Chief Secy Punjab
rameshinders@yahoo.com
Phone No. : 11111111111
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