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{{Use Indian English|date=June | {{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=June | {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}} | ||
{{Indira Gandhi series}} | {{Indira Gandhi series}} | ||
'''Operation Sundown''' was codename of a covert plan of India's external intelligence agency [[Research & Analysis Wing]] (R&AW), in which the [[Special Group (India)|Special Group]], which is an ultra-secretive armed unit of the R&AW, was to abduct Sikh extremist leader [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]] from Guru Nanak Niwas in the [[Golden Temple]] complex, [[Amritsar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indira-gandhi-commando-raid-operation-bluestar-indian-army-golden-temple-jarnail-singh-bhindranwale-raw-officials/1/341065.html|title=Indira Gandhi considered secret commando raid before Operation Bluestar|last=Unnithan|first=Sandeep|date=|website=|publisher=India Today|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313151801/http://m.indiatoday.in/story/indira-gandhi-commando-raid-operation-bluestar-indian-army-golden-temple-jarnail-singh-bhindranwale-raw-officials/1/341065.html|archive-date=13 March 2016|accessdate=2 February | '''Operation Sundown''' was codename of a covert plan of India's external intelligence agency [[Research & Analysis Wing]] (R&AW), in which the [[Special Group (India)|Special Group]], which is an ultra-secretive armed unit of the R&AW, was to abduct Sikh extremist leader [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]] from Guru Nanak Niwas in the [[Golden Temple]] complex, [[Amritsar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indira-gandhi-commando-raid-operation-bluestar-indian-army-golden-temple-jarnail-singh-bhindranwale-raw-officials/1/341065.html|title=Indira Gandhi considered secret commando raid before Operation Bluestar|last=Unnithan|first=Sandeep|date=|website=|publisher=India Today|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313151801/http://m.indiatoday.in/story/indira-gandhi-commando-raid-operation-bluestar-indian-army-golden-temple-jarnail-singh-bhindranwale-raw-officials/1/341065.html|archive-date=13 March 2016|accessdate=2 February 2014}}</ref> | ||
== The operation == | == The operation == | ||
The rehearsals for the operation were carried out in the base. But, the operation was never started due to the then [[Prime Minister of India]] [[Indira Gandhi]]’s rejection. She did not want to hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikhs by carrying out the operation. In addition there was a risk of numerous casualties as a [[collateral damage]] of the operation. Golden Temple was one of the most popular and revered sites in Punjab. Gandhi denied the approval to initiate Operation Sundown.<ref name="gill2017punjab">{{cite book |last1=Gill |first1=K.P.S. and Khosla, S |title=Punjab: The Enemies Within : Travails of a Wounded Land Riddled with Toxins |date=2017 |publisher=Bookwise (India) Pvt. Limited |isbn=9788187330660 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n3zHAQAACAAJ}}</ref> | The rehearsals for the operation were carried out in the base. But, the operation was never started due to the then [[Prime Minister of India]] [[Indira Gandhi]]’s rejection. She did not want to hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikhs by carrying out the operation. In addition there was a risk of numerous casualties as a [[collateral damage]] of the operation. Golden Temple was one of the most popular and revered sites in Punjab. Gandhi denied the approval to initiate Operation Sundown.<ref name="gill2017punjab">{{cite book |last1=Gill |first1=K.P.S. and Khosla, S |title=Punjab: The Enemies Within : Travails of a Wounded Land Riddled with Toxins |date=2017 |publisher=Bookwise (India) Pvt. Limited |isbn=9788187330660 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n3zHAQAACAAJ}}</ref> | ||
Other options such as negotiations were opted for instead. The negotiations failed and the law and order situation in Punjab continued to deteriorate. In April 1983, [[A.S. Atwal]] the [[Deputy inspector general of police#India|Deputy Inspector General]] in [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]] was murdered by a follower of [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]] at the steps of [[Golden temple]].<ref name="gill2017punjab"/> In June 1984 [[Operation Blue Star]] was carried out by the [[Indian Army]] to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed followers from the buildings of the [[Harmandir Sahib]] Complex in [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]].<ref name="TH_Mi6">{{cite news|title=RAW chief consulted MI6 in build-up to Operation Bluestar|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/raw-chief-consulted-mi6-in-buildup-to-operation-bluestar/article5579516.ece|publisher=[[The Hindu]]|date=16 January 2014|accessdate=31 January 2014|location=Chennai, India|first=Praveen|last=Swami}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Singh|first=Parmjeet|title=Operation Sundown – Plan to abduct Sant Bhindranwale from Guru Nanak Niwas in Dec. 1983 – More chapters of black history of India coming into light|date=February 2014|url=http://www.sikhsiyasat.net/2014/02/01/operation-sundown-plan-to-abduct-sant-bhindranwale-from-guru-nanak-niwas-in-dec-1983-more-chapters-of-black-history-of-india-coming-into-light/|publisher=Sikh Siyasat News|accessdate=2 February | Other options such as negotiations were opted for instead. The negotiations failed and the law and order situation in Punjab continued to deteriorate. In April 1983, [[A.S. Atwal]] the [[Deputy inspector general of police#India|Deputy Inspector General]] in [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]] was murdered by a follower of [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]] at the steps of [[Golden temple]].<ref name="gill2017punjab"/> In June 1984 [[Operation Blue Star]] was carried out by the [[Indian Army]] to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed followers from the buildings of the [[Harmandir Sahib]] Complex in [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]].<ref name="TH_Mi6">{{cite news|title=RAW chief consulted MI6 in build-up to Operation Bluestar|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/raw-chief-consulted-mi6-in-buildup-to-operation-bluestar/article5579516.ece|publisher=[[The Hindu]]|date=16 January 2014|accessdate=31 January 2014|location=Chennai, India|first=Praveen|last=Swami}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Singh|first=Parmjeet|title=Operation Sundown – Plan to abduct Sant Bhindranwale from Guru Nanak Niwas in Dec. 1983 – More chapters of black history of India coming into light|date=February 2014|url=http://www.sikhsiyasat.net/2014/02/01/operation-sundown-plan-to-abduct-sant-bhindranwale-from-guru-nanak-niwas-in-dec-1983-more-chapters-of-black-history-of-india-coming-into-light/|publisher=Sikh Siyasat News|accessdate=2 February 2014}}</ref> | ||
Operation Sundown was revealed almost after three decades in January 2014 by [[India Today]] Magazine through investigation of UK's declassified Top Secret documents. | Operation Sundown was revealed almost after three decades in January 2014 by [[India Today]] Magazine through investigation of UK's declassified Top Secret documents. | ||