Operation Blue Star | American Turban

"The U.S. government has moved quietly and aggressively to prevent undocumented Indians from entering the United States, many of whom are Sikhs fleeing political repression or economic collapse at home." (Source: Buzzfeed News)

The journey of Punjab’s issues to America’s front door

February 3, 2016 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

David Noriega and John Templon write in Buzzfeed News about detention of Punjabi Sikhs at US borders who are seeking asylum. This well-written and comprehensive article connects the dots to the legacy of issues plaguing Punjab and its people today.

Categories: 1984, Civil Rights, News Bits • Tags: 1984, 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms, Buta Singh, Buzzfeed News, David Noriega, farmer suicides, Immigration, John Templon, Operation Blue Star, Punjab police, trafficking

Leave a comment

1984 through Indian Eyes: Part VI — “My People’s Heart” by Preeti Kaur

December 4, 2014 by American Turban Guest Contributor

1984 through Indian Eyes: Literary Accounts of Operation Blue Star and the Anti-Sikh Pogroms By Lori Way Part VI – “My People’s Heart” by Preeti Kaur In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Operation Bluestar in Amritsar, India, in June, 1984, and the anti-Sikh pogroms that took place the following November in New Delhi, Lori Way concludes her six-installment review of works of literature focusing upon these events. Many thanks to Lori for providing to us insights and discussions as we […]

Categories: Literature • Tags: 1984 anti-Sikh riots, anti-Sikh pogroms, Lori Way, My People's Heart, Operation Blue Star, Operation Bluestar, Preeti Kaur, Rabindranath Tagore

1984 Living History Project to launch “Reclaim the Flames” campaign

October 31, 2014 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The 1984 Living History Project, a grassroots initiative that is creating a video archive of testimonials and experiences related to the events of 1984 in India, is embarking on a campaign in November called “Reclaim the Flames” (#ReclaimtheFlames): Thanks to the participation of volunteers and sangats around the world during this thirtieth anniversary year of 1984, #1984LivingHistory Project has collected powerful and diverse videos. Beyond the known facts of November 1984, what else do these accounts tell us? What else can we learn? […]

Categories: 1984 • Tags: #ReclaimtheFlames, 1984, 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms, 1984 anti-Sikh riots, 1984 Living History Project, Operation Blue Star, Operation Bluestar

Leave a comment

RETROSPECTIVE: “Sikhs Tortured for Religious Beliefs” by Ajit Mann (1986)

October 31, 2014 by American Turban Guest Contributor

Sikhs Tortured for Religious Beliefs By Ajit Maan (Originally published on July 17, 1986) Cultural theorist Ajit Maan was an undergraduate student when she wrote her article for the Kansas State University newspaper, The Collegian. Nearly 30 years later, as we recognize the 30th anniversary of the anti-Sikh pogrom in India in which thousands of Sikhs were massacred in India in a matter of days, she shares that article with American Turban and reflects upon how the violence of 1984 affected […]

Categories: 1984 • Tags: 1984, Ajit Mann, anti-Sikh pogroms, anti-Sikh riots, Operation Blue Star, Operation Bluestar

Cover of Helium, by Jaspreet Singh. (Photo: Amazon.

1984 through Indian Eyes: Part V — Helium by Jaspreet Singh

October 21, 2014 by American Turban Guest Contributor

1984 through Indian Eyes: Literary Accounts of Operation Blue Star and the Anti-Sikh Pogroms By Lori Way Part V – Helium by Jaspreet Singh In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Operation Bluestar in Amritsar, India, in June, 1984, and the anti-Sikh pogroms that took place the following November in New Delhi, Lori Way continues her series of essays discussing works of literature focusing upon these events. You can see her entire series here. A senior Congress leader, his Nehru-Gandhi khadi […]

Categories: Literature • Tags: 1984 anti-Sikh riots, anti-Sikh pogroms, Carbon, Congressional Briefing on the 1984 Anti-Sikh Pogroms in India, Helium, Jaspreet Singh, Lori Way, Operation Blue Star, Operation Bluestar

Leave a comment

1984 Through Indian Eyes: Part III — Her Name Is Kaur, edited by Meeta Kaur

August 15, 2014 by American Turban Guest Contributor

1984 through Indian Eyes: Literary Accounts of Operation Blue Star and the Anti-Sikh Pogroms By Lori Way Part III – Her Name Is Kaur, edited by Meeta Kaur In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Operation Bluestar in Amritsar, India, in June, 1984, and the anti-Sikh pogroms that took place the following November in New Delhi, Lori Way continues her series of essays discussing works of literature focusing upon these events. See also Part I and Part II of her series […]

Categories: 1984, Literature • Tags: Gunisha Kaur, Harleen Kaur, hate crime, hate crimes, Her Name is Kaur, Lori Way, Meeta Kaur, Oak Creek, Operation Blue Star, Operation Bluestar, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Wisconsin

Photo Source: Indo American Arts Council.)

1984 through Indian Eyes: Part II — Amu by Shonali Bose

July 9, 2014 by American Turban Guest Contributor

1984 through Indian Eyes: Literary Accounts of Operation Blue Star and the Anti-Sikh Pogroms By Lori Way Part II – Amu by Shonali Bose In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Operation Bluestar in Amritsar, India, in June, 1984, and the anti-Sikh pogroms that took place the following November in New Delhi, Lori Way continues her series of essays discussing works of literature focusing upon these events. You can read the first article in her series, in which she discusses Amandeep […]

Categories: 1984, Literature, TV/Movies • Tags: 1984, Amu, Lori Way, Operation Blue Star, Operation Bluestar, Shonali Bose

1984 through Indian Eyes: Part I – Roll of Honour by Amandeep Sandhu

June 6, 2014 by American Turban Guest Contributor

1984 through Indian Eyes: Literary Accounts of Operation Blue Star and the Anti-Sikh Pogroms By Lori Way Part I – Roll of Honour by Amandeep Sandhu As we look back upon the 30th anniversary of the June 1984 attack on the Golden Temple at Amritsar, many Sikhs and non-Sikhs around the world will remember this event and the massacre of Sikhs that followed later that year as some of the most brutal acts of violence within India’s recent history. In […]

Categories: 1984, Literature • Tags: 1984, Amandeep Sandhu, Lori Way, Operation Blue Star, Operation Bluestar, Roll of Honour

A graphic by the National Sikh Youth Federation in the United Kingdom describes the initiating events during the Indian government's attack on Darbar Sahib (aka the Golden Temple) in June 1984, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths. (Source: NSYF)

Remembering June, 1984

June 3, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The year 1984 is forever etched into the Sikh psyche after it was added to the long list of atrocities against the Sikh people by rulers of their land. During the first week of June of that year, the Indian Government launched “Operation Blue Star“, an attack on the center of the Sikh faith in Amritsar, India, and invasions of numerous other Gurdwaras (Sikh houses of worship) across Punjab and India, under the pretext of neutralizing militants that had taken […]

Categories: 1984 • Tags: Amritsar, Darbar Sahib, Golden Temple, Gunisha Kaur, Guru Arjan, Guru Arjun, India, Indian Army, National Sikh Youth Federation, NSYF, Operation Blue Star, Punjab, Simran Jeet Singh