Beant Singh (assassin)
Encyclopedia
Beant Singh born in Jaitu
in the Faridkot
district of Punjab (India)
, was one of Indira Gandhi
's assassins. He was killed by gunfire shortly after the assassination.
ordered the commencement of Operation Blue Star
and the Indian Army
attacked armed Sikh
militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
, who were fighting an insurgency
against the Indian state for a separate Khalistan
, in the fortified Harmandir Sahib
complex. These events, and the subsequent damage to the holy sites within the complex caused outrage amongst the Sikh community. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh
, who were both bodyguards of Indira Gandhi, assassinated her in her garden on 31st October 1984.
was arrested and later sentenced to death by hanging, along with Kehar Singh
.
seats from state of Punjab
. The Lok Sabha is a directly elected 552 member lower house of the Parliament of India
. Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
was also an elected member of the same house
.
After his death, his wife Bimal Kaur Khalsa
initially joined Sikh militants, prior to her election as member of Lok Sabha
from Ropar (Lok Sabha constituency)
.
His father Mr. Sucha Singh was elected member of Lok Sabha
from Bathinda (Lok Sabha constituency).
Beant Singh's son's name is Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, who was only five years old when Beant Singh killed Indira Gandhi and subsequently died.
declared Beant Singh and Satwant Singh
to be martyrs.
His death anniversary is celebrated every year inside Golden Temple Complex
In the year 2003, a Bhog
ceremony was held at Akal Takhat, Amritsar where tributes were paid to Indira’s assassins
In the year 2004, a demand was raised by a political party that Akal Takhat should observe death anniversaries of Beant Singh.
In the year 2007, his death anniversary was observed in various parts of Punjab
and other countries.
On January 6, 2008 the highest Sikh temporal seat (Akal Takhat, Amritsar
) declared Beant Singh and other assassins of former prime minister Indira Gandhi 'martyrs of Sikhism' SGPC also called them "martyrs of Sikh nation". Shiromani Akali Dal
observed their death anniversary as 'martyrdom' on October 31, 2008
Jaitu
Jaitu is a city and a municipal council in Faridkot district in the Indian state of Punjab.- Demographics : India census, Jaitu had a population of 33,465. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Jaitu has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%:...
in the Faridkot
Faridkot
Faridkot is a small city and a municipal council in Faridkot district in the state of Punjab, India.It's a division with headquarter at Faridkot consists of three Districts Faridkot, Bathinda and Mansa...
district of Punjab (India)
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, was one of Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
's assassins. He was killed by gunfire shortly after the assassination.
Motives
In June 1984, Indira GandhiIndira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
ordered the commencement of Operation Blue Star
Operation Blue Star
Operation Blue Star ) 3– 6 June 1984 was an Indian military operation, ordered by Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, to remove Sikh separatists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar...
and the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
attacked armed Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was the leader of the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh religious group based in India, who supported implementation of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. In 1981, Bhindranwale was arrested for his suspected involvement in the murder of Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind...
, who were fighting an insurgency
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
against the Indian state for a separate Khalistan
Khalistan
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
, in the fortified Harmandir Sahib
Harmandir Sahib
The Harmandir Sahib also Darbar Sahib , also referred to as the Golden Temple, is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab . Construction of the gurdwara was begun by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev...
complex. These events, and the subsequent damage to the holy sites within the complex caused outrage amongst the Sikh community. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh
Satwant Singh
Satwant Singh was a Sikh bodyguard to the Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi, who on October 31, 1984 assassinated Indira Gandhi at her residence along with another bodyguard, Beant Singh....
, who were both bodyguards of Indira Gandhi, assassinated her in her garden on 31st October 1984.
Death
Beant Singh was killed by gunfire soon after the assassination. His accomplice, Satwant SinghSatwant Singh
Satwant Singh was a Sikh bodyguard to the Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi, who on October 31, 1984 assassinated Indira Gandhi at her residence along with another bodyguard, Beant Singh....
was arrested and later sentenced to death by hanging, along with Kehar Singh
Kehar Singh
Kehar Singh was tried and executed for conspiracy in the plot of Indira Gandhi assassination, carried out by Satwant Singh and Beant Singh. He was hanged in Tihar jail on January 6, 1989...
.
Beant Singh's family
Beant Singh's act generated a sympathy wave for his immediate family in the Sikhs, resulting in their winning two Lok SabhaLok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
seats from state of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
. The Lok Sabha is a directly elected 552 member lower house of the Parliament of India
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
. Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
was also an elected member of the same house
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
.
After his death, his wife Bimal Kaur Khalsa
Bimal Kaur Khalsa
Bimal Kaur Khalsa was an Indian politician and the wife of Beant Singh, one of the two assassins of Indira Gandhi.Khalsa was a nurse at Lady Hardinge Medical College when her husband assassinated Indira Gandhi.. Immediately after the assassination she was picked by the Indian security forces, she...
initially joined Sikh militants, prior to her election as member of Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
from Ropar (Lok Sabha constituency)
Ropar (Lok Sabha constituency)
-Members of Parliament:*1977: Basant Singh Khalsa, Shiromani Akali Dal*1984: Charanjit Singh, Akali Dal*1989: Bimal Kaur Khalsa, Shiromani Akali Dal *1991: Harchand Singh, Indian National Congress*1996: Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, Shiromani Akali Dal...
.
His father Mr. Sucha Singh was elected member of Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
from Bathinda (Lok Sabha constituency).
Beant Singh's son's name is Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, who was only five years old when Beant Singh killed Indira Gandhi and subsequently died.
Honours and death anniversaries
In 2008, the Akal TakhtAkal Takht
The Akal Takht of the Timeless One or Seat of God. It is one of the five seats of temporal authority of the Sikhs equivalent to any parliament of world sovereign country. Akal means The Timeless One - another term for God. Takht means 'seat' or 'throne' in Persian...
declared Beant Singh and Satwant Singh
Satwant Singh
Satwant Singh was a Sikh bodyguard to the Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi, who on October 31, 1984 assassinated Indira Gandhi at her residence along with another bodyguard, Beant Singh....
to be martyrs.
His death anniversary is celebrated every year inside Golden Temple Complex
In the year 2003, a Bhog
Bhog
Bhog is a term used in Hinduism and Sikhism.-In Hinduism:Bhog in the Hindu religion is a ritual of sacrifice to the Gods.-In Sikhism:...
ceremony was held at Akal Takhat, Amritsar where tributes were paid to Indira’s assassins
In the year 2004, a demand was raised by a political party that Akal Takhat should observe death anniversaries of Beant Singh.
In the year 2007, his death anniversary was observed in various parts of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and other countries.
On January 6, 2008 the highest Sikh temporal seat (Akal Takhat, Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
) declared Beant Singh and other assassins of former prime minister Indira Gandhi 'martyrs of Sikhism' SGPC also called them "martyrs of Sikh nation". Shiromani Akali Dal
Shiromani Akali Dal
The Shiromani Akali Dal , translation: Supreme Akali Party) is a Sikh nationalist political parties based in Punjab. The current party to be recognized by the Election Commission of India is the one led by Parkash Singh Badal...
observed their death anniversary as 'martyrdom' on October 31, 2008