OPERATION WOODROSE

Operation Woodrose was similar to Operation Bluestar except now that the Gurdwaras
were in Army control hunting down any Amritdhari (baptised) Sikhs in the countryside
throughout Punjab became the sole objective. The Army stated in it’s ‘baat cheet’ or
talking points, that any baptised Sikh was effectively a terrorist. It blamed Guru Gobind
Singh for militancy among Sikhs and to all intents & purposes waged war on him
personally. This was the third time in history that a decree of this kind of mass
annihilation of Sikhs was declared; the first two being by Emperor Bahadur Shah (1707-
12) and Emperor Farukh Siyar (1713-19).

During both Woodrose & Bluestar any Sikh wearing a turban was dishonoured and
summarily shot at point blank range with their hands tied behind their backs using their
turban-cloth. Any youth aged between 15 and 35 were particularly targeted for
eradication.

The Army worked very closely with members of the Congress Party, BJP and CPM
activists to ensure every village and town was combed for baptised Sikhs. Those that were
not shot were indicted for being members of opposition Sikh political parties. The
mopping up operations truly involved the infliction of terror upon a community that had
until now been unquestionably patriotic.

Even by conservative estimates the numbers of Sikh youth taken into custody during the
first 4 to 6 weeks of Operation Woodrose amounted to 100,000. Even the most the
patriotic nationalist Sikhs accepted there was no choice left to somehow find a way of
defending itself against the ever growing use of the Army, para-military forces and state-
sponsored terrorism...