Sant Bhindrawale's cremation: An eyewitness account
 
 
Satinder Singh Bains

Amritsar Sahib, Punjab - After 22 years of Operation Blue Star, an eyewitness to the cremation of Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala has came forward with an account of the cremation performed on the night of June 7,1984. Sikhs observe June 6, the day of the operation, as Genocide Day' all over the world on June 6 to observe the day.

Sikh leader Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was killed in the military assault conducted by the Indian army on June 6, 1984. Sant Bhindrawale's dead body was recovered on June 7 and was cremated the same night at Amritsar. For about 20 years, the Damdami Taksal had kept telling people that Baba Ji was alive and safe. Attached is a post mortem report of Sant Bhindranwale.

On the night of June 7, when Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala was cremated past midnight, an eyewitnesses hiding there had seen at least 750 dead bodies of Sikhs brought to the cremation ground. Besides others, the then Deputy Commissioner Ramesh Inder Singh was present at the site of cremation till the body of Sant Bhindrawale was confined to flames.

Bhai Budh Singh alias Bhai Baldev Singh who had once formed the Khalistan Brigade has told the Sahara Times of India in an exclusive interview that Sant Bhindranwale’s body was cremated in the cremation ground, adjouning Gurdwara Shahinda Baba Deep Singh near Chati Wind Gate on the morning of June 7, 1984. He claimed that he was present in the cremation ground at that time in the guise of a mentally retarted person.

Bhai Budh Singh accompanied this correspondent to the creamation ground and pointed out the spot where the Sant’s body was cremated in the presence of senior district civil personel and police officers. He said that a police officer who had performed ‘ardas’ ceremony before the cremation was still alive and he identified him. He further said that the bodies of Gen. Subeg Singh and Bhai Amrik Singh were also cremated in the same cremation ground.

Bhai Budh Singh said that the then Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar Mr. Rameshinder Singh along with other officals had collected the ashes of Sant Bhindranwala at 10:00 am on June 9. He claimed they were immersed in the Satluj River at Kiratpur Sahib and an entry there in the name of Baba Jarnail Singh is there as a matter of record. He said that he knew some other eyewitnesses who had seen the ‘dead body’ of Sant Bhindrawale.

Bhai Budh Singh said that his house was adjacent to the cremation ground. He added that he had so far kept mum to avoid any controversy in his name. He said that he had counted that about 750 unidentified dead bodies were brought by the police to the creamation ground during a period of two days. The body of Sant Bhindranwale was taken to the mortuary at 7:30 PM on June, 7.

Bhai Budh Singh claimed that Baba Jarnail Singh had come out of the Akal Takht at 8:45 a.m. on June 6 and was shot to death near the Nishan Sahib. He added that his dead body was carried up to darshani deori on ghanta ghar side under the supervision of D.S.P. Apar Singh Bajwa who had since been retired. He said that these facts were based on a report of his sources in the complex. He said that Sant’s brother Harcharan Singh Rode had identified the body in the darshani deori itself.

Bhai Budh Singh claimed that he had a long association with Sant Bhindrwale and was hurt when Damdami Taksal declared the Sant alive and raised an unnecessary controversy over many years. He said that he was also close confidant of Mr. Jagjit Singh Chauhan, head of the ‘Khalistan’ government-in-exile’, and stated that he had installed and operated the transmission of Khalistan radio near Amritsar.

He said that he was staying in the dera of Sant Charan Singh of Bir Sahib Thathikhara in Amritsar district till the day when police whisked away Sant Charan Singh about two years back. He added that the where abouts of Sant Charan Singh were not known till date. He continued on saying that he had started construction of a Gurdwara in the memory of those 13 Sikh ‘Martyrs’ who were killed in the Sikh-Nirankari clash but that due to financial problems only the foundation had been built.

Dr. Davinder Sharma (PCMS) who had conducted the postmortem of Sant Bhindrawala turned out missing a few days later. According to the postmortem report. Sant Bhindrawale died instantly. He had written on his report, “In my opinion that is due to shock and hemmorhage as a result of a massive head injury accompained with multiple fractures which was sufficient to cause death." The doctor had timed the postmortem at 8 pm and that according to him, Sant Bhindranwale died approximately about 5 pm on June 7, 1984. The police in the medical records did mention the cause of death as a result of firearms injury.