What governments did, and what it cost the country

What was done

The Government of India received the Akali Dal's 45 demands in September 1981 and a revised list of 15 demands in October 1981. In the week before the army was called, the Government made one more attempt to reach a settlement, found the Akali Dal leadership's position more rigid, and on 10 July 1984 published the White Paper on the Punjab Agitation setting out its account of the demands, violence, activities abroad and the army operation.

What it meant for the country

The sources record harmful consequences: independent reporting was stopped and, as reported by Sikh Museum, the operation was followed by arbitrary arrests, torture and killing and a shift among Sikhs toward demanding a separate state.

• As reported by Sikh Museum, no foreign or independent journalists were allowed into Punjab for over a month after Operation Blue Star, and those already in the State were expelled. [6]
• As reported by Sikh Museum, after Operation Blue Star the vast majority of Sikhs, irrespective of their past political affiliations, united in calling for the creation of Khalistan, while only a small minority supported the Indian government. [6]
• As reported by Sikh Museum, in the months following Operation Blue Star the Indian army and police began a new phase described as arbitrary arrests, torture and killing, a sign of what it calls a decade-long darkness in Punjab. [6]

Step by step

1. 1981-09
   The Government of India received a list of 45 demands from the Shiromani Akali Dal. [7]
2. 1981-10
   The Government of India received a revised list of 15 demands from the Akali Dal. [7]
3. 1984-06-15
   As reported by Sikh Museum, an early official Government of India account of events was released on this date, one month before the White Paper; one week later the Government retracted the initial report and said drugs had been recovered from the India-Pakistan border, not from the Golden Temple complex. [6]
4. 1984-07-10
   The Government of India released the White Paper on the Punjab Agitation in New Delhi. [7]

The documents

1. [1] Sengara Singh And Ors. vs State Of Punjab And Ors. on 2 ... Court, indiankanoon.org
2. [2] Baldev Raj, Ex-Constable vs State Of Punjab And Ors. on 13 ... Court, indiankanoon.org
3. [3] Jamiat Singh vs State Of Punjab And Ors. on 20 January, 1984 Court, indiankanoon.org
4. [4] Balbir Singh And Ors. vs State Of Punjab Through Director Of ... Court, indiankanoon.org
5. [5] Constituent Assembly Debates On 23 November, 1948 - Indian Kanoon Court, indiankanoon.org
6. [6] Operation Blue Star 1984 Golden Temple Attack Sikhs - Sikh Museum Web, sikhmuseum.com
7. [7] White Paper the Punjab Agitation - DocsLib Web, docslib.org

Compiled from the documents cited, 1 Oct 2026

What was done

The Indira Gandhi government ordered the Army into the Golden Temple complex in June 1984. The Supreme Court, in a 1992 judgment, recorded that the task was to flush out militants who had taken refuge there, that some militants were killed, and that part of the Golden Temple known as Harminder Saheb was damaged. In 2002, a Lok Sabha member moved for Parliament to apologise to the Sikh people for the operation, stating that the Golden Temple was attacked with military force and that artefacts were stolen by the Indian Army.

What it meant for the country

The sources record damage to the Harminder Saheb within the Golden Temple complex and subsequent violence, including the assassination of General Vaidya, who had led the operation.

• Part of the Golden Temple known as Harminder Saheb was damaged during the operation, as recorded by the Supreme Court. [6]
• Some militants were killed during the operation, as recorded by the Supreme Court. [6]
• General Vaidya, who led the operation, was later assassinated by Punjab militants seeking revenge for what they called the desecration of the Golden Temple, as recorded by the Supreme Court. [6]
• In 2002, a Lok Sabha member stated on the floor of the House that artefacts were stolen by the Indian Army during the operation; this was a member's statement, not a formal finding. [1]

Step by step

1. 1984
   Operation Blue Star was carried out at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Supreme Court later recorded in a 1992 judgment that the operation was to flush out militants who had taken refuge there, that some militants were killed, and that part of the Golden Temple known as Harminder Saheb was damaged. [6][1]
2. 1992-07-15
   The Supreme Court, in State of Maharashtra vs Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha and Others, described Operation Blue Star: the task was to flush out militants from the Golden Temple; some militants were killed and a part of the Golden Temple known as Harminder Saheb was damaged. The Court also recorded that Indira Gandhi and General Vaidya incurred the wrath of Punjab militants for what they called the desecration of the Golden Temple. [6]
3. 2002-05-14
   In the Lok Sabha, a member sought an apology from Parliament to the Sikh people on the issue of Operation Blue Star. The member stated that the Golden Temple was attacked with military force and that artefacts were stolen by the Indian Army. The Speaker allowed the member to complete his remarks, subject to removing anything unparliamentary from the record. No formal apology or resolution is recorded in the source. [1]

The documents

1. [1] Regarding Apology On The Issue Of "Operation Blue Star- 1984 ... Court, indiankanoon.org
2. [2] Sukhwinder Kaur vs State Of Punjab Etc on 20 July, 2016 Court, indiankanoon.org
3. [3] Sengara Singh And Ors. vs State Of Punjab And Ors. on 2 ... Court, indiankanoon.org
4. [4] Punjab Singh vs State Of Haryana on 15 March, 1984 Court, indiankanoon.org
5. [5] Indian Kanoon Court, indiankanoon.org
6. [6] State Of Maharashtra Vs. Respondent: ... vs Sukhdev Singh ... Court, indiankanoon.org
7. [7] Dharamvir Singn vs Union Of India & Ors on 2 July, 2013 Court, indiankanoon.org
8. [8] Anil Gupta vs Star India Pvt.Ltd.& Anr on 7 July, 2014 Court, indiankanoon.org
9. [9] The Kerala Public Service Commission vs Baiju S on 30 July, 2014 Court, indiankanoon.org
10. [10] Ravindra Kumar vs State (Govt. Of Nct Of Delhi) & Anr. on 3 ... Court, indiankanoon.org
11. [11] Smt. Aparna Das vs Cesc Limited & Ors on 18 January, 2024 Court, indiankanoon.org
12. [12] Gorkha Security Services vs Govt. Of Nct Of Delhi & Ors on 4 ... Court, indiankanoon.org

Compiled from the documents cited, 1 Oct 2026

What was done

Parliament enacted the Terrorist Affected Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1984, to provide for speedy trial of certain offences in terrorist-affected areas. The Act empowered the Central Government to declare terrorist-affected areas and establish Special Courts, with judges appointed with the concurrence of the Chief Justice of the High Court, and it repealed the Terrorist Affected Areas (Special Courts) Ordinance, 1984.

What it meant for the country

The Act changed criminal procedure for scheduled offences in terrorist-affected areas, but the sources do not record any resulting cases, convictions, or court rulings, so its practical consequences are unclear.

• The Act replaced ordinary criminal procedure for scheduled offences in terrorist-affected areas: a Special Court could take cognizance without the accused being committed for trial, try offences punishable with up to three years' imprisonment summarily, and pass a sentence of up to two years in a summary trial. [1]
• The Act gave Special Courts the powers of a Court of Session and allowed them to try connected non-scheduled offences and convict for any offence found during the trial. [1]
• The Act allowed the Supreme Court to transfer cases between Special Courts and the Central Government to abolish a Special Court once its area ceased to be terrorist-affected and no cases were pending. [1][2]

Step by step

1. 1984-07-14
   The Terrorist Affected Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1984 is deemed to have come into force. [1]
2. 1984-08-31
   The Act is published as Act 61 of 1984, described as an Act to provide for the speedy trial of certain offences in terrorist affected areas and for matters connected therewith. [2]
3. 1984-08-31
   The Act repeals the Terrorist Affected Areas (Special Courts) Ordinance, 1984 (9 of 1984), and anything done under the Ordinance is deemed to have been done under the Act. [1][2]

The documents

1. [1] The Terrorist Affected Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1984 Court, indiankanoon.org
2. [2] THE TERRORIST AFFECTED AREAS (SPECIAL COURTS) ACT, 1984 Official, thc.nic.in
3. [3] The Terrorist Affected Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1984 ... Web, courtbook.in

Compiled from the documents cited, 12 Oct 2026

What was done

The central government set up the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission of Inquiry in 1985 to investigate the Delhi violence. In 2005 the Justice Nanavati Commission report was laid in Parliament and, according to the parliamentary record, recommended registration of cases against Sajjan Kumar and others. On 12 February 2015 the Ministry of Home Affairs constituted a Special Investigation Team to re-investigate closed 1984 riots cases in Delhi. In one case, after the trial court acquitted Sajjan Kumar, the Delhi High Court on 17 December 2018 reversed that acquittal and convicted him while affirming the convictions of five other accused.

What it meant for the country

The Delhi High Court recorded that the mass killings of Sikhs in November 1984 were crimes against humanity and convicted Sajjan Kumar, a former Member of Parliament, while affirming the convictions of five other accused in one case.

• The Delhi High Court found that the mass killings of Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere in November 1984 were crimes against humanity, and it recorded the murders of five named Sikh men in the Raj Nagar area. [6]
• Sajjan Kumar, a Congress leader and Member of Parliament at the time of the violence, was ordered to surrender by 31 December 2018 after the Delhi High Court reversed his trial-court acquittal. [6]
• In a Lok Sabha debate on 2 December 2009, a member stated that thousands of Sikh women were widowed and thousands of children orphaned, naming one woman in Shakurpur who lost 21 members of her family. [2]
• The Nanavati Commission report was laid in Parliament on 8 August 2005, but a 2009 Lok Sabha debate recorded that four CBI-registered cases against Sajjan Kumar had not resulted in a single charge sheet after four years. [1][2]

Step by step

1. 1985
   The Government of India established the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of violence in Delhi following the death of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. [4]
2. 2005-08-08
   The Report of the Justice Nanavati Commission of Inquiry and the Memorandum of Action Taken were laid on the table of the Lok Sabha. [1]
3. 2005-08-10
   The Lok Sabha took up an adjournment motion on the failure of the government to take action against persons indicted by the Nanavati Commission; the motion was negatived. [3]
4. 2009-12-02
   In a Lok Sabha debate, a member stated that the Nanavati Commission had recommended registration of cases against Sajjan Kumar and others; four cases were registered by the CBI in 2005 but no charge sheet had been filed against him after four years. [2]
5. 2013-04-30
   The trial court convicted five accused and acquitted Sajjan Kumar in the case arising from FIR No. RC-SI-1/2005/S0024 registered at Police Station Delhi Cantonment. [6]
6. 2015-02-12
   The Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, constituted a Special Investigation Team to re-investigate closed 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases in Delhi. [4][7]
7. 2018-12-17
   The Delhi High Court partly allowed the CBI's appeal, reversed the acquittal of Sajjan Kumar, convicted him, and affirmed the convictions and sentences of the other five accused; he was directed to surrender by 31 December 2018. [6]
8. 2022-07
   Sajjan Kumar was charge sheeted in July 2022 under two FIRs related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, according to the Delhi District Court judgment dated 22 January 2026. [4]
9. 2025-02-12
   A Delhi District Court judgment of 22 January 2026 refers to an earlier judgment dated 12 February 2025 in another 1984 riots-related case against Sajjan Kumar, identified as case No. 03/21. [4]
10. 2026-01-22
    The Delhi District Court pronounced judgment in State v Sajjan Kumar (Ex. MP), SC No. B-3/1, arising from two FIRs investigated by the SIT; the extracted record sets out the charge sheet and evidence but does not state the operative outcome. [4]

The documents

1. [1] Papers Laid On The Table By The Members/Ministers. on 8 ... Court, indiankanoon.org
2. [2] Regarding Need To Accord Permission By The Govt. To Cbi To ... Court, indiankanoon.org
3. [3] Suspension Of Question Hour And Motion For Adjournment On ... Court, indiankanoon.org
4. [4] State vs Sajjan Kumar (Ex. Mp) on 22 January, 2026 Court, indiankanoon.org
5. [5] Need To Set Up A Commission On 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots To ... Court, indiankanoon.org
6. [6] State Through Cbi vs Sajjan Kumar & Ors on 17 December, 2018 Court, indiankanoon.org
7. [7] State Through Special Investigation ... vs Sajjan Kumar on 22 ... Court, indiankanoon.org
8. [8] State Through Sit (1984 Riots) vs Sajjan Kumar on 17 October ... Court, indiankanoon.org
9. [9] State Through Sit (1984 Riots) vs Sajjan Kumar on 5 July, 2018 Court, indiankanoon.org
10. [10] Jagdish Tytler vs Central Bureau Of Investigation & Anr on 28 ... Court, indiankanoon.org
11. [11] Mr. Jagdish Tytler vs Joint Secretary (Psp) And Chief ... on ... Court, indiankanoon.org
12. [12] Jagdish Tiwari And Others vs State Of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy ... Court, indiankanoon.org

Compiled from the documents cited, 1 Oct 2026