BHINDRANWALE- Terrorist or Saint?  The question still remains to be answered even as the world is witnessing 25^th year of the death of the most controversial Sikh leader of all time. Seldom do we encounter a figure that is either hated or loved as deeply as Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. There are not many who can claim to be neutral when it comes to supporting him as a martyr or rejecting him as a terrorist. 

 Born in the year which saw India’s Birth as an Independent nation, he was all set to play the most sensational innings ever played in Indian politics since that fateful year.  Starting his sikh education under Damdami Taksal, he soon became the brightest of the students of the organization headed by Kartar Singh. He started missionary activities travelling village to village guiding sikh youth to take Amrit and thus returning to the purest form of Sikhism. He told them to abstain from alcohol and non-vegetarian food and not to tie their beards. Bhindranwale was blessed with boldness and great oratory skills. Where ever he used to go, villagers used to bring to him their day to day problems which he solved. Ones while he was attending the masses, a girl came to him who said that she was being abused by her in-laws for not bringing enough dowry. He ordered his men to bring her in-laws, when they came he took out few bills from his pocket and told them that the girl was the daughter of Jarnail singh Bhindranwale and they could take as much money from him as they wanted. They immediately went down to their knees and promised never to harass the girl.   He was tactful and shrewd and never shied away from displaying whatever power and skills he had, this increased his popularity by leaps and bounds. Bhindranwale, although never claimed any political position, became so powerful that the congress led by Indira Gandhi tried to use him to bring down the Akalis.

The problems started during the clashes between Nirankaris and Sikhs, such times demand a position to be taken and Bhindranwale assumed the role which was best fit to his personality, Aggressive and uncompromising. Khushwant Singh writes that he was aware of the fact that hate is a bigger passion than love. The leader of Nirankaris, Gurbachan Singh, was murdered and Bhindranwale was arrested for the charge of ordering the assassination. His arrest saw clashes in whole of Punjab, later he was released on the lack of evidences. This drama made Indira Gandhi realize the position and power he had assumed in Punjab. He was again arrested the next year, this time for the murder of Jagat Narain the owner of Hind Samachar Group. Incidences of violence grew so much that the union Home Minister had to tell the Parliament that there are no evidences against him and he was immediately released. He was now the single biggest leader in Punjab and both Indira Gandhi and Akalis were plunged into desperation. Bhindranwale was now widely seen as a propagator and advocate of Khalistan movement. He however, chose to be diplomatic while in media "we are not in favour of Khalistan nor are we against it" and "We won't reject it. We shall not repeat 1947".