Over recent years, Sikhs at both individual and institutional levels have increasingly described Operation Bluestar and the subsequent violence of 1984 as the "Third Ghallughara." The term "Ghallughara" is a Punjabi word used by Sikhs to denote a catastrophic massacre, devastation, or genocidal campaign against the Sikh community. While often compared to terms like "holocaust" or "genocide," in Sikh historical memory it carries a deeper meaning, symbolizing immense suffering, collective resistance, survival, and the struggle to preserve Sikh identity and sovereignty.
Historical Origins of the Term
The earliest known use of the term appears in the writings of 18th-century Sikh historian and eyewitness chronicler Ratan Singh Bhangu in his work Sri Gur Panth Prakash. Bhangu used the word while describing the events of 1746, which later became known as the Chhota (Smaller) Ghallughara.
The Two Major Historical Ghallugharas
- Chhota Ghallughara (1746): Occurred when Mughal authorities under Lakhpat Rai launched a campaign to exterminate Sikhs, resulting in thousands of deaths in Kahnuwan, Gurdaspur.
- Vadda (Greater) Ghallughara (1762): Took place on 5 February 1762 when Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Durrani attacked Sikh families near Kup-Rahira and Malerkotla, killing over twenty thousand Sikhs, including many women and children.
1984 as the Third Ghallughara
Many Sikhs and Sikh institutions refer to Operation Bluestar and the wider anti-Sikh violence of 1984 as the Third Ghallughara. From the Sikh perspective, the assault on the Akal Takht and Harmandir Sahib, followed by widespread arrests, military operations, and anti-Sikh riots, echoed earlier attempts to suppress or destroy the Sikh community. For this reason, 1984 is remembered by many Sikhs as a continuation of the historical pattern of Ghallugharas, linking it symbolically to the tragedies of 1746 and 1762.
SGPC head preacher Sarbjit Singh Dhotian stated that the use of the single word "Ghallughara" has connected the events of June 1984 with these earlier historical experiences, giving them a place within a much longer Sikh historical narrative. He emphasized that Operation Bluestar is not the right term, as it was the name of the operation to eliminate Sikhs.
