Mired in Controversy

Going ahead with Operation Bluestar was the right decision, even if not for the right reasons (“The Untold Story: The Secret Operation Before Bluestar”, February 10). Indira Gandhi had cancelled Operation Sundown but allowed Bluestar to minimise civilian casualties. However, the formidable defences of the militants inside the temple premises required an invasion of a scale as large as the one that actually took place. Any operation lesser in magnitude than that of Bluestar would have been rendered totally ineffective. When killing Bhindranwale took three days, abducting him alive would have been next to impossible.

NEEHARIKA SINHA, Allahabad

With reference to the big story, the followers of Bhindranwale, who were demanding a separate Khalistan at gunpoint, were obviously encouraged by Pakistan’s General Zia-ulHaq even as he was negotiating peace with Indira Gandhi. The atrocities committed by both the government as well as the supporters of Khalistan were of an alarming proportion but the Indira Gandhi government did not want the Khalistan issue to become fodder for ISI’S larger game plan against India. Hence the operation had become inevitable.

RAMESH SINHA, Gurgaon

Though there is no denying the necessity of flushing out the militants from the temple complex for killing innocent people, the method adopted for this purpose, and the desecration of the complex, remain black spots.

JASPAL SINGH, via email