Assassination of Indira Gandhi: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|1984 encounter in New Delhi, India}}

{{Infobox civilian attack

| location        = [[7 RCR|Prime Minister residence]], [[Safdarjung]] Road, [[New Delhi]]

| caption          = The spot where Gandhi was shot down is marked by a glass opening in the crystal pathway at the ''Indira Gandhi Memorial''

| time            = 9:30 a.m.

| weapons          = .38 (9.1 mm) revolver and [[Sterling submachine gun]]

[[Prime Minister of India|Indian Prime Minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]] was assassinated at 9:30 a.m. on 31 October 1984 at her [[7 RCR|residence]] in [[Safdarjung]] Road, [[New Delhi]]. She was killed by her bodyguards<ref name=bbconthisday>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/witness/october/31/newsid_3961000/3961851.stm |title=1984: Assassination and revenge |access-date=23 January 2009 |work=BBC News |date=31 October 1984 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215211511/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/witness/october/31/newsid_3961000/3961851.stm |archive-date=15 February 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Satwant Singh]] and [[Beant Singh (assassin)|Beant Singh]] in the aftermath of [[Operation Blue Star]], an Indian military action carried out between 1 and 8 June 1984 ordered by Indira Gandhi to remove [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]] and his followers from the [[Golden Temple|Golden Temple of Harmandir Sahib]] in [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]. The collateral damage included the death of many pilgrims, as well as damage to the [[Akal Takht]].<ref name="Kiss_Khalistan">{{cite book |last1=Kiss |first1=Peter A. |title=Winning Wars amongst the People: Case Studies in Asymmetric Conflict |date=2014 |publisher=Potomac Books |isbn=9781612347004 |page=100 |edition=Illustrated |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uIY6AwAAQBAJ&q=khalistani+currency+bhindranwale&pg=PA100 |access-date=15 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715235735/https://books.google.com/books?id=uIY6AwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA100&dq=khalistani%20currency%20bhindranwale&pg=PA100#v=onepage&q=khalistani%20currency%20bhindranwale&f=false |archive-date=15 July 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all|quote=In operation Bluestar a force of several battalions occupied the holy precincts in a battle lasting several hours. Bhindranwale and man of his associates were killed – but there was a very large number of civilian casualties as well.}}</ref>  The military action on the sacred temple was criticized both inside and outside India.

==Operation Blue Star==

[[Operation Blue Star]] was a large Indian military operation carried out between 1 and 8 June 1984, ordered by Indira Gandhi to remove leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his militant Sikh 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 the build-up to Operation Bluestar |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/raw-chief-consulted-mi6-in-buildup-to-operation-bluestar/article5579516.ece |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |date=16 January 2014 |location=Chennai, India |first=Praveen |last=Swami}}</ref> The [[Indian army]] suffered around 83 casualties with 700 injuries, and 450–500 Sikh rebels were killed during the operation. The handling of the operation, damage to the [[Golden Temple|holy shrine]], and loss of military and civilian life on both sides led to widespread criticism of the Indian government.{{citation needed|date=October 2021|reason=no examples of criticisms provided}}

The perceived threat to Gandhi's life increased after the operation.<ref name="dnaindia_tryst">{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-operation-blue-star-india-s-first-tryst-with-militant-extremism-2270293|title=Operation Blue Star: India's first tryst with militant extremism |date=5 November 2016|website=Dnaindia.com|access-date=29 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103012225/http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-operation-blue-star-india-s-first-tryst-with-militant-extremism-2270293|archive-date=3 November 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Accordingly, Sikhs were removed from her personal bodyguard detail by the [[Intelligence Bureau (India)|Intelligence Bureau]] for fear of assassination. Gandhi thought that this would reinforce her anti-Sikh image among the public, however, and she ordered the [[Delhi Police]] to reinstate her Sikh bodyguards,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.readersdigest.in/culturescape/story-the-death-of-indira-gandhi-sagarika-ghose-124682|title=She Handpicked Him, He Shot Her Dead|last=Ghose |first=Sagarika |publisher=Reader's Digest |date=December 28, 2018 |website=readersdigest.in |access-date=June 17, 2020}}</ref> including Beant Singh, who was reported to be her personal favorite.<ref name=smith>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=William E. |title=Indira Gandhi's assassination sparks a fearful round of sectarian violence |url=http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_111284a.html |access-date=19 January 2013 |newspaper=Time |date=12 November 1984 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103043002/http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_111284a.html |archive-date=3 November 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

At about 9:20 a.m. Indian Standard Time, on 31 October 1984, Gandhi was on her way to be interviewed by British actor [[Peter Ustinov]], who was filming a documentary for [[Raidió Teilifís Éireann|Irish television]]. She was accompanied by Constable Narayan Singh, personal security officer Rameshwar Dayal and Gandhi's personal secretary, [[R. K. Dhawan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/the-last-day-of-indira-gandhi-1379440-2018-10-31|title=The last day of Indira Gandhi|first1=Prabhash K. |last1=Dutta |date=31 October 2018|website=India Today}}</ref> She was walking through the garden of the Prime Minister's Residence at No. 1 Safdarjung Road in New Delhi towards the neighboring 1 Akbar Road office.<ref name=cnn>{{cite web |title=25 years after Indira Gandhi's assassination |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/india-and-indira-25-years-after-a-pms-assassination/104183-37.html |date=30 October 2009 |publisher=[[CNN-IBN]] |access-date=5 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104180327/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/india-and-indira-25-years-after-a-pms-assassination/104183-37.html |archive-date=4 November 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Gandhi passed a [[wicket gate]] guarded by Satwant and Beant Singh, and the two men opened fire. Beant fired three rounds into her abdomen from his .38 ({{convert|0.38|inch|mm|disp=out}}) revolver;<ref name=smith/> then Satwant fired 30 rounds from his [[Sterling submachine gun|Sterling sub-machine gun]] after she had fallen to the ground.<ref name=smith/> Both men then threw down their weapons and Beant said, "I have done what I had to do. You do what you want to do." In the next six minutes, Border Police officers Tarsem Singh Jamwal and Ram Saran captured and killed Beant, while Satwant was arrested by Gandhi's other bodyguards and an accomplice trying to escape; he was seriously wounded.<ref name=tdaily>{{cite news |title=Questions still surround Gandhi assassination |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=w1seAAAAIBAJ&pg=1354,5824409&dq=assassination+of+indira+gandhi&hl=en |access-date=19 January 2013 |newspaper=Times Daily |date=24 November 1984 |agency=AP |location=New Delhi}}</ref> Satwant Singh was hanged in 1989 with accomplice [[Kehar Singh]].<ref>Dr. Sangat Kr. Singh, ''The Sikhs in History'', p. 393</ref>

[[Salma Sultan]] gave the first news of the assassination of Gandhi on [[Doordarshan]]'s evening news on 31 October 1984, more than ten hours after she was killed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-riots-that-could-not-be-televised/536471/ |title=The riots that could not be televised |publisher=Indianexpress.com |date=3 November 2009 |access-date=31 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091205154910/http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-riots-that-could-not-be-televised/536471/ |archive-date=5 December 2009 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/We+the+eyeballs/1/1328.html |title=We the eyeballs : Cover Story – India Today |publisher=Indiatoday.intoday.in |access-date=31 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215111034/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/We+the+eyeballs/1/1328.html |archive-date=15 December 2014 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> It is alleged by the Indian government that Gandhi's secretary R. K. Dhawan overruled intelligence and security officials who had ordered the removal of policemen as a security threat, including her assassins.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/28/world/india-releases-stinging-report-on-gandhi-s-death.html | work=The New York Times | first=Sanjoy | last=Hazarika | title=India Releases Stinging Report on Gandhi's Death | date=28 March 1989 | access-date=5 February 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107062316/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/28/world/india-releases-stinging-report-on-gandhi-s-death.html | archive-date=7 November 2017 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Beant was one of Gandhi's favorite guards, whom she had known for ten years.<ref name=smith>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=William E. |title=Indira Gandhi's assassination sparks a fearful round of sectarian violence |url=http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_111284a.html |access-date=19 January 2013 |newspaper=Time |date=12 November 1984 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103043002/http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_111284a.html |archive-date=3 November 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Because he was a Sikh, he had been taken off her staff after Operation Blue Star; however, Gandhi had made sure that he was reinstated.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.readersdigest.in/culturescape/story-the-death-of-indira-gandhi-sagarika-ghose-124682|title=She Handpicked Him, He Shot Her Dead|last=Ghose |first=Sagarika |publisher=Reader's Digest |date=December 28, 2018 |website=readersdigest.in |access-date=June 17, 2020}}</ref>  Satwant was 22 years old at the time of the assassination, and had been assigned to Gandhi's guard just five months previously.<ref name=smith/>

Gandhi was taken to the [[All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi]] at 9:30&nbsp;a.m. Doctors operated on her. She was declared dead at 2:20&nbsp;p.m. The postmortem examination was conducted by a team of doctors headed by [[Tirath Das Dogra]], who stated that 30 bullets had struck Gandhi from a [[Sterling submachine gun|Sterling sub-machine gun]] and a revolver. The assailants had fired 33 bullets at her, of which 30 had hit; 23 had passed through her body, while seven remained inside. Dogra extracted bullets to establish the identity of the weapons and to correlate each weapon with the bullets recovered by ballistic examination. The bullets were matched to the weapons at CFSL Delhi.  

 

 

Gandhi's body was taken in a [[gun carriage]] through Delhi roads on the morning of 1 November to [[Teen Murti Bhavan]], where her father stayed and where she lay in state.<ref name=cnn/> She was cremated with full state honors on 3 November near [[Raj Ghat and associated memorials|Raj Ghat]], a memorial to [[Mahatma Gandhi]], at an area named [[Shakti Sthal]]. Her elder son and successor, [[Rajiv Gandhi]], lit the pyre.

Among the foreign dignitaries who attended the state funeral were:<ref name="report">{{cite web|title=MEA Annual Report 1984-85|url=https://mealib.nic.in/?2513?000|website=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India|date=1985|accessdate=13 June 2021}}</ref>

| {{flag|Algeria}} || [[Abdelhamid Brahimi]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|Australia}} || [[Ninian Stephen]] (Governor-General)<br />[[Bob Hawke]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|Bhutan}} || [[Jigme Singye Wangchuck]] (King)

| {{flag|Canada}} || [[Brian Dickson]] (Chief Justice)<br />[[Joe Clark]] (Former Prime Minister and Secretary of State for External Affairs)

| {{flag|China}} || [[Yao Yilin]] (Vice-Premier)

| {{flag|Czechoslovak Socialist Republic}} || [[Lubomír Štrougal]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|East Germany}} || [[Horst Sindermann]] (President of the People's Chamber)

| {{flag|Fiji}} || [[Penaia Ganilau]] (Governor-General)<br />[[Kamisese Mara]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|France}} || [[Laurent Fabius]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|Indonesia}} || [[Umar Wirahadikusumah]] (Vice-President)

| {{flag|Japan}} || [[Yasuhiro Nakasone]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|Jordan}} || [[Prince Hassan bin Talal]] (Crown Prince)

| {{flag|Kenya}} || [[Mwai Kibaki]] (Vice President)

| {{flag|Laos}} || [[Souphanouvong]] (President)<br />[[Kaysone Phomvihane]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|Liberia}} || [[Harry Moniba]] (Vice President)

| {{flag|Mauritius}} || [[Anerood Jugnauth]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|Mongolian People's Republic}} || T. Ragchaa (First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers)

| {{flag|Nauru}} || [[Hammer DeRoburt]] (President)

| {{flag|Nepal}} || [[Lokendra Bahadur Chand]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|New Zealand}} || [[David Beattie]] (Governor-General)<br />[[David Lange]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|North Korea}} || [[Pak Song-chol]] (Vice-President)

| {{flag|People's Republic of Bulgaria}} || [[Todor Zhivkov]] ([[General Secretary of the Bulgarian Communist Party|General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party]])

| {{flag|People's Republic of Kampuchea}} || [[Heng Samrin]] (President of the Council of State)<br />[[Chan Sy]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|People's Republic of Mozambique}} || [[Samora Machel]] (President)

| {{flag|Poland}} || [[Wojciech Jaruzelski]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|Philippines|1936}} || [[Imelda Marcos]] (First Lady)

| {{flag|South Korea|1984}} ||  [[:ko:채문식|Chae Mun-shik]] (Speaker of the National Assembly)

| {{flag|USSR}} || [[Nikolai Tikhonov]] (Chairman of the Council of Ministers)

| {{flag|SFR Yugoslavia}} || [[Veselin Đuranović]] (President)

| {{flag|Syria}} ||  [[Zuhair Masharqa]] (Vice President)<br />[[Farouk al-Sharaa]] (Foreign Minister)

| {{flag|Tanzania}} ||  [[Julius Nyerere]] (President)

| {{flag|Uganda}} ||  [[Milton Obote]] (President)

| {{flag|United Kingdom}} || [[Margaret Thatcher]] (Prime Minister)<br />[[Anne, Princess Royal|Princess Royal]] (Representing [[Elizabeth II|Her Majesty The Queen]])

| {{flag|United States}} || [[George Shultz]] (Secretary of State)<ref>{{cite news|quote=Secretary of State George P. Shultz was named to head the official US delegation to Gandhi's funeral. Bush, asked why he would not represent the United States there, as he often has at state funerals, said: 'Because I'm involved in an election campaign...I think people will understand.'|title=Reagan, Others Express Shock, Grief|date=November 1, 1984|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The Boston Globe|page=14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/statement-assassination-prime-minister-indira-gandhi-india|title=Statement on the Assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India|date=October 31, 1984|last=Reagan|first=Ronald|website=reaganlibrary.gov|access-date=October 27, 2022}}</ref>

| {{flag|Vanuatu}} || [[Ati George Sokomanu]] (President)<br />[[Walter Lini]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|Vietnam}} || [[Trường Chinh]] (President)<br />[[Phạm Văn Đồng]] (Prime Minister)

| {{flag|Zambia}} || [[Kenneth Kaunda]] (President)

| {{flag|Zimbabwe}} || [[Robert Mugabe]] (Prime Minister)

Over the next four days, 8,000 Sikhs were killed in [[1984 anti-Sikh riots|retaliatory violence]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Delhi to reopen inquiry in to massacre of Sikhs in 1984 riots|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/10607451/Delhi-to-reopen-inquiry-in-to-massacre-of-Sikhs-in-1984-riots.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/10607451/Delhi-to-reopen-inquiry-in-to-massacre-of-Sikhs-in-1984-riots.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live| first=Dean |last=Nelson |date=2014-01-30 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|access-date=3 May 2016 |df=dmy-all}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The Justice Thakkar Commission of Inquiry, headed by Justice [[Manharlal Pranlal Thakkar]], set up to probe Gandhi's assassination, recommended a separate probe for the conspiracy angle behind the assassination. The Thakkar Report stated that the "needle of suspicion" pointed at R. K. Dhawan for complicity in the conspiracy.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19890415-Thakkar-commission-report-leak-govt-try-to-accuse-Arun-Nehru-of-being-the-main-culprit-815980-1989-04-15 |title=Thakkar Commission report leak: Govt try to accuse Arun Nehru of being the main culprit |first=Prabhu |last=Chawla |date=April 15, 1989 |magazine=[[India Today]] |access-date=2018-10-30 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Satwant Singh and alleged conspirator Kehar Singh were sentenced to death. Both were executed on 6 January 1989.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hazarika |first1=Sanjoy |title=Protests Follow Hanging of 2 Sikhs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/07/world/protests-follow-hanging-of-2-sikhs.html |volume=138|work=The New York Times |issue=47743 |date=7 January 1989}}</ref>

A Punjabi movie titled ''[[Kaum De Heere]]'' (''Gems of the Community'') highlighting the roles/lives of the two guards that assassinated Indira Gandhi was set to be released on 22 August 2014, but was banned by the Indian government<ref>{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Centre-blocks-release-of-controversial-film-on-Indira-Gandhis-assassins-Kaum-de-Heere/articleshow/40606687.cms |title=Centre blocks release of controversial film on Indira Gandhi's assassins 'Kaum de Heere' |work=[[The Times of India]] |location=Mumbai |date=August 21, 2014 |agency=Times News Network |access-date=31 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141121153206/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Centre-blocks-release-of-controversial-film-on-Indira-Gandhis-assassins-Kaum-de-Heere/articleshow/40606687.cms |archive-date=21 November 2014 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140821/latest-news.htm |title=Film on Indira Gandhi's assassins barred from release |work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]] |location=Chandigarh, India |agency=[[Press Trust of India]] |date=August 21, 2014 |access-date=31 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233520/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140821/latest-news.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> for five years.<ref>{{cite news |title=Delhi HC clears release of Punjabi movie 'Kaum De Heere' |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/punjab/delhi-hc-clears-release-of-punjabi-movie-kaum-de-heere-824741 |access-date=15 September 2021 |work=The Tribune |agency=Press Trust India |date=29 August 2019}}</ref>

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130227011011/http://www.delhiwonders.com/delhi-indira-gandhi-memorial Indira Gandhi Memorial] Indira Gandhi assassination books in Tamil in two volumes by Mrs. Z.Y. Himsagar and S. Padmavathi, M.A., M.L., Notion press.com, Chennai, 2016 edition, {{ISBN|9789352065967|9789352065974}}

[[Category:1984 murders in India]]

[[Category:State funerals in India]]

[[Category:Murder in Delhi]]