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Lt Gen Brar: It was an assassination attempt by 'pro-Khalistan elements'

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  • Lt Gen Brar: It was an assassination attempt by 'pro-Khalistan elements'

    Lt Gen Brar: It was an assassination attempt by 'pro-Khalistan elements' - The Times of India


    LONDON: Lt Gen K S Brar, who was assaulted by four people in central London on Sunday night, is convinced that it was an attempt to assassinate him by " pro-Khalistan elements" for his role in the 1984 "Operation Bluestar".

    Brar, who kicked and fought three of the four assailants, suffered a knife wound in the neck and is recovering after receiving medical treatment at a London hospital soon after the attack near the busy Marble Arch area. He is due to return to India on Tuesday.

    "This was a pure assassination attempt on me. Even on Internet there are so many threats being sent to me to say that there have been many attempts on your life but they haven't succeeded, but the next one will succeed. They've been after me." Brar told a television channel on Monday night.

    "On 6th of June, which is the anniversary of Bluestar every year, particularly in London, the radical Sikhs come out in procession with banners and make pledges to kill me. So it was a pure assassination attempt," he said.

    Brar said it was "obvious" that the assailants were Khalistan sympathisers, who, he added, wanted to kill him since "Operation Bluestar".

    Describing the incident, the 78-year-old Brar said he fought with the assailants, with "abnormal strength", and added: "Now when I think back I can't imagine how I fought with those three big guys. But I suppose being a soldier and having been in the army for so many years, one learns to defend oneself".

    One of the four assailants, he said, separated his wife from him, while the other three "went for me". His wife fell down when one of the assailants pushed her against the wall, he said.

    Everything happened within a couple of minutes, "maybe one minute", he said.

    The police, Brar said, had told him that a mobile phone had been recovered from the site of assault, which may lead them to the assailants.

    The retired Lt General praised the police and hospital authorities who treated him after the assault.

    Operation Bluestar was aimed at flushing out Sikh terrorists led by Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale from the Golden Temple, who was demanding a separate state for Sikhs called Khalistan.

    A decorated soldier, Brar saw action in the 1971 war with Pakistan, and was among the first to enter Dhaka when the Indian Army forced Pakistani army into surrender.

    General A S Vaidya who was the Army chief in 1984 planned the highly controversial Operation Bluestar. Vaidya was shot dead in Pune in 1986.

    Brar assailants had 'long beards': Police

    Scotland Yard has appealed for information from members of the public on the Sunday night assault on Lt Gen K S Brar, and described the four assailants as wearing dark clothing, long black jackets and having "long beards".

    Stating that detectives were keeping an open mind on the motivation behind the attack, the police said in a statement on Monday that they were particularly keen to speak to people who assisted Brar and his wife after the attack on Old Quebec Street in central London.

    No arrests had been made until last night, the police said.

    "The four men are described as wearing dark clothing and long black jackets. They all had long beards. One of the men is described as younger and slimmer than the other three. They all fled in the direction of Oxford Street," the statement said.

    "Detectives are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time or who may have information about the incident. In particular they want to speak to those people who assisted the wife and the victim at the scene following the attack," it added.

    According to Brar, a mobile phone had been recovered from the scene, which may help lead the police to the assailants. The police were also expected to go through CCTV footage from the area that has several cameras.

    *******************

    The brave man fought back his assailants, my salute.

  • #2
    Brar has lived under category Z security in India for over 2 decades, so it was rather careless of him not to inform the high commission while he was in England.

    Also, while it is very likely that Sikh secessionists may have been behind this attack, I think the Indian media has been a tad bit unprofessional in establishing the verdict even before a single assailant has been identified! Talk about jumping the gun! The comments in that ToI article against Sikhs are just plain ugly, despite the fact that the General himself is a Sikh.

    From the BBC, IMO, a more balanced report;

    Indian general who led Golden Temple raid stabbed in London



    The Indian general who led a 1984 raid on Sikh militants in Amritsar's Golden Temple has been stabbed in London.

    Lt-General Kuldeep Singh Brar sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries when four men attacked him.

    The 78-year-old is thought to still be a target for extremist Sikhs, but there has been no suggestion yet as to the identity of his attackers.

    Lt Gen Brar's Operation Bluestar left around 1,000 people dead.

    The army raided the Golden Temple in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in June 1984 to flush out armed Sikh militants who were fighting for an independent homeland of Khalistan.

    Reports on the exact number of people killed vary but it is thought about 1,000 people were killed in the ensuing struggle, including women and children on pilgrimage and soldiers.

    Lt Gen Kuldeep Singh Brar was one of the key architects of the operation.

    He was attacked on Old Quebec Street in the Oxford Circus area of London on Sunday night by unknown assailants, with no suggestion so far that his attackers were Sikhs.

    After spending the night in hospital he was released on Monday.

    BBC News - Indian general who led Golden Temple raid stabbed in London
    Last edited by Tronic; 02 Oct 12,, 09:45.
    Cow is the only animal that not only inhales oxygen, but also exhales it.
    -Rekha Arya, Former Minister of Animal Husbandry

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    • #3
      Describing the incident, the 78-year-old Brar said he fought with the assailants, with "abnormal strength", and added: "Now when I think back I can't imagine how I fought with those three big guys. But I suppose being a soldier and having been in the army for so many years, one learns to defend oneself".
      Pretty much explains what happened. They didn't expect the old guy to fight back.
      Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie!'...till you can find a rock. ;)

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Tronic View Post

        Also, while it is very likely that Sikh secessionists may have been behind this attack, I think the Indian media has been a tad bit unprofessional in establishing the verdict even before a single assailant has been identified! Talk about jumping the gun!
        By media verdict you mean whether assailants were Sikhs or not ?

        Please point out on above article where Indian media is jumping the gun.

        Lt. Gen is the best person to identify them if they were Sikhs or not. He is convinced that it was an attempt to assassinate him by pro-khalistani elements. I don't think there is further need to be politically correct given his experience and him being a Sikh himself.

        You found BBC article more balanced because instead of the incident they rant more about what happened during bluestar or how many or many not were killed during that army operation ?

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        • #5
          Originally posted by ambidex View Post
          You found BBC article more balanced because instead of the incident they rant more about what happened during bluestar or how many or many not were killed during that army operation ?
          Rant? Operation Blue Star was the Indian equivalent of Tiananmen. And that's only if we downplay its significance.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by kato View Post
            Rant? Operation Blue Star was the Indian equivalent of Tiananmen. And that's only if we downplay its significance.
            Please mention your flag first.

            I have no intention to downplay significance of anything rather there should be a balance. Indian source gave news about the incidence in detail and the past in brief. But BBC source RANT more about operation Blue Star which other poster felt the right approach to deal with this issue. May be he is trying to justify that attack someway, somehow ? If this is not the case (apologies in advance) then he should point out wrong reporting and good reporting from mine source and his source.

            Please present Operation Blue star's equivalence to Tiananmen Square as well.

            Thanks

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            • #7
              I feel its very much wrong to equate operation blue star with Tiananmen square.
              It is so. It cant be otherwise

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              • #8
                Originally posted by kato View Post
                Rant? Operation Blue Star was the Indian equivalent of Tiananmen. And that's only if we downplay its significance.
                I could have understood if you compared it to the Grand Mosque seizure of 1979. But Tiananmen? Seriously? The Chinese government used military force against peaceful protesters in the middle of the city. The Indian government used military force with an aim to flush out known terrorists who were treating the Golden Temple as their personal fortress. The planning and execution of the operation was flawed and it ended with many civilian deaths in addition to those of the terrorists and military personnel. How you can possibly compare the two is beyond me.
                Last edited by Firestorm; 02 Oct 12,, 17:35.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by ambidex View Post
                  By media verdict you mean whether assailants were Sikhs or not ?

                  Please point out on above article where Indian media is jumping the gun.
                  I don't believe I need to point it out, the above article is screaming "Pro-Khalistani assailants". Infact, even before Gen Brar said a single word, the headlines were the same yesterday.

                  Lt. Gen is the best person to identify them if they were Sikhs or not. He is convinced that it was an attempt to assassinate him by pro-khalistani elements. I don't think there is further need to be politically correct given his experience and him being a Sikh himself.
                  He's actually not the best person to identify them as he has been living under duress from Sikh militants for the last 2 decades. His only identification of them was that they had "long beards". How many practicing Sikhs do you see with long beards who do not wear turbans? As I said, the attackers may well have been Sikhs, but their "beards" are not a giveaway as the Indian media has portrayed it.

                  Lt Gen Hoon disagrees that this was a planned attack by Khalistanis, because he thinks that had it been so, Gen Brar would've been dead: Ex-Army Lt. Gen. Hoon rules out Khalistani attack on Operation Blue Star hero

                  You found BBC article more balanced because instead of the incident they rant more about what happened during bluestar or how many or many not were killed during that army operation ?
                  They describe the incident as it is, don't jump to conclusions, and describe why it may have been Sikh secessionists. Indian media ought to learn.
                  Cow is the only animal that not only inhales oxygen, but also exhales it.
                  -Rekha Arya, Former Minister of Animal Husbandry

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Firestorm View Post
                    I could have understood if you compared it to the Grand Mosque seizure of 1979.
                    The Grand Mosque seizure pales in comparison in everything; the types of weapons used (small arms in GM seizure vs tanks and mortars in Golden Temple assault) and the number of civilians killed (a few dozen to a hundred at most at GM vs close to a thousand at GT assault).
                    Cow is the only animal that not only inhales oxygen, but also exhales it.
                    -Rekha Arya, Former Minister of Animal Husbandry

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Tronic View Post
                      The Grand Mosque seizure pales in comparison in everything; the types of weapons used (small arms in GM seizure vs tanks and mortars in Golden Temple assault) and the number of civilians killed (a few dozen to a hundred at most at GM vs close to a thousand at GT assault).
                      Yes, but the circumstances were similar. An important place of worship taken over by terrorists and with a large number of civilians trapped inside. That a military operation was needed to clear out the terrorists was beyond question. The government had no other choice. The ultimate execution of the operation turned out to be a disaster.

                      In any case my point was that it is absolutely ridiculous to compare Bluestar to the Tianamen square massacre.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Firestorm View Post
                        Yes, but the circumstances were similar. An important place of worship taken over by terrorists and with a large number of civilians trapped inside. That a military operation was needed to clear out the terrorists was beyond question. The government had no other choice. The ultimate execution of the operation turned out to be a disaster.

                        In any case my point was that it is absolutely ridiculous to compare Bluestar to the Tianamen square massacre.
                        FS, Only if you look at it vaguely do the circumstances seem similar. In reality, the incidents are miles apart.

                        The militants at the Golden Temple had been based and operating from the Golden Temple unimpeded for 6 months! (They were previous tools of the Indian government and had an open hand). The civilians were used to having the militants present inside, and continuous requests by the Punjab Police to arrest the militants had been turned down by the Indian central government.

                        When the army was sent in, they did not cordon off the temple and continued to allow free movement of civilians to enter and exit the Temple, until the night of September 31st. The army sealed off the Temple without warning on the date of one of the holiest days in Sikhism and left thousands of civilians trapped inside who weren't allowed to exit! The media was rounded up, put on buses and shipped out of Punjab, while the water and electricity was cut off on June 2nd. The army assault began on the 3rd and by the 4th, the army was using 25 pounder artillery guns and mortars to shell the premises of the Golden Temple, where thousands of civilians were present! By the 5th, the army had sent in APCs inside the temple, and by the morning of the 6th, Centurion tanks were being called in to directly shell the Akal Takth.

                        In these 4 days of fighting, the thousands of civilians inside were cut off from water and food, and by eyewitness accounts, when a group of thirsty civilians stormed outside the temple to run to the pool for water, they were mowed down by army machine guns who mistakenly thought they were being assaulted.

                        Furthermore, Op Bluestar was not restricted to the Golden Temple and was a Punjab wide operation where Gurudwaras in all of Punjab were assaulted simultaneously. The white paper by the Indian government puts the figure at 42 Gurudwaras being assaulted, but the numbers are speculated to be about 3 dozen more.

                        This is the reason which led many Sikhs to believe that the Operation was actually an assault on their identity and a Psych Op sanctioned by the Congress government to suppress Punjab's political demands.

                        The circumstances are actually very different than the Grand Mosque seize and the manner of the operation becomes closer to Tienanmen when the callous regard for civilians in considered.
                        Cow is the only animal that not only inhales oxygen, but also exhales it.
                        -Rekha Arya, Former Minister of Animal Husbandry

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Tronic View Post
                          The circumstances are actually very different than the Grand Mosque seize and the manner of the operation becomes closer to Tienanmen when the callous regard for civilians in considered.
                          Tronic, there were NO armed militants in Tiananmen square. Every single civilian who died there was a protester asking for freedom of speech, freedom of press and better governance. There were students leading a hunger strike. Now contrast this with the situation in the Golden Temple. Bhindranwale had converted the Akal Takht into an ammo dump. He had a few hundred militants under his command and a veteran Major General to lead them in battle.

                          I already agreed that the eventual execution of the operation was disastrous. The number of civilian as well as IA deaths was unacceptable as was the damage done to the temple. But the GoI was primarily dealing with armed militants whose stated purpose was the secession of Punjab to form a separate state. The Chinese government AFAIK was dealing with unarmed workers and students.
                          Last edited by Firestorm; 02 Oct 12,, 21:19.

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                          • #14
                            I don't believe I need to point it out, the above article is screaming "Pro-Khalistani assailants". Infact, even before Gen Brar said a single word, the headlines were the same yesterday.


                            ToI has quoted Lt. Gen Brar in above news article. The newspapers were rightly pointing out at that possibility yesterday. Even you have suggested about the same possibility.

                            He's actually not the best person to identify them as he has been living under duress from Sikh militants for the last 2 decades. His only identification of them was that they had "long beards". How many practicing Sikhs do you see with long beards who do not wear turbans? As I said, the attackers may well have been Sikhs, but their "beards" are not a giveaway as the Indian media has portrayed it.

                            You can use him being a Sikh and at the same time doubt his judgement about Sikhs (to Identify) . I have seen a video on NDTV where he has clearly stated word 'Sikhs' for them.

                            Lt Gen Hoon disagrees that this was a planned attack by Khalistanis, because he thinks that had it been so, Gen Brar would've been dead: Ex-Army Lt. Gen. Hoon rules out Khalistani attack on Operation Blue Star hero

                            And you buy that prediction of Lt. Gen Hoon, who wasn't even there ? I do 10s of bedside tracheostomies every year with one small surgical blade trust me Lt. Brar just got lucky and the help came in time.

                            BTW the link is not working.

                            They (BBC) describe the incident as it is, don't jump to conclusions, and describe why it may have been Sikh secessionists. Indian media ought to learn.

                            I found everything same about the incident reporting with BBC source (apart from their generic Blue Star operation details) and Indian media reporting. Don't know what made you pontificate at Indian media and derail the discussion.

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                            • #15
                              I should have mentioned it before. My purpose to start this thread was to mention one of the hazards an armed force personnel can face, haunting him even post retirement. Maybe this is an isolated unique case of Lt.Gen. Brar who is living under threat to his personal and family security because he did his duty.

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