Two groups clashed inside the Golden Temple premises for close to half an hour on Friday morning leaving at least 12 persons injured, even as the temple city observed a bandh to mark the 30th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.
While we seem to want soldiers on short-term engagement, warfare itself is getting more technical and needs skilled manpower. The world has seen the dismal performance of armies that rely on short tour of duty soldiers or have outsourced war to 'contractors' in Afghanistan and now in Ukraine, points out Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Rahul, who was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and some other Congress leaders, paid floral tributes at the memorial inside the Jallianwala Bagh in the morning.
The indefinite hunger strike of anti-Sikh riot victims was called off on the sixth day on Wednesday after an appeal from Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh to the protesters.
B D Pande was Punjab's governor during Operation Bluestar. In this excerpt from his memoir, In the Service of Free India: Memoir of a Civil Servant, Pande reveals what really went on behind the scenes during those dark days in India's history.
As the battle lines are drawn between the United Progressive Alliance and the National Democratic Alliance, the NDA is now beginning to smell power, says Neerja Chowdhury
India's trade with the Gulf-Arab region stands at $180 billion. India needs the Gulf region more in terms of trade, investments and employment than the other way round. When it comes to faith, the Gulf-Arab nations have not been found wanting at any point in time, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
As debate raged over raising of a memorial for those killed during Operation Blue Star in 1984, the the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee, in a controversial move, honoured family members of the two assassins of General A S Vaidya in the Golden Temple complex.
Amid separatist slogans and "honouring" of death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana, the 28th anniversary of Operation Bluestar to flush out militants from Sikh holy shrine the Golden Temple, was on Wednesday observed at Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat, an event from which Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal kept away.
"It is a highly unfortunate incident which has taken place in America leaving six innocent devotees dead. This is a security lapse on the part of US government," Giani Gurbachan Singh, the head priest of Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat, said in Amritsar.
The Sikh religious leadership on Monday condemned the attack on a Gurudwara in Wisconsin in which seven people were killed.
The Punjab police on Tuesday arrested the ruling Shiromani Akal Dal leader and sarpanch who slapped a woman teacher at Gidderbaha in Muktsar district on Sunday. However, Balwinder Singh, the sarpanch, was freed on bail within hours of his arrest as the offences under Indian Penal Code for which he was booked by police were bailable.
'The Akali government is not responsible for the Punjab power crisis as Mr Sidhu is saying.'
The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered five seats, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam got three, the Samajwadi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam got two apiece and the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiv Sena got one each respectively as all 30 made it to the Upper House after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations drew to close on Thursday evening.
Shyamaprasad has roped in the two actresses along with Prakash Raj for the Malayalam movie.
Even as the home ministry sent out alerts to states over Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim's movie, Messenger of God, the Censor Board has refused to certify the film taking exception to the spiritual leader depicting himself as god on the silver screen.
Divisions among two groups of Sikhs in Canada over the authenticity of holy scripture Dasam Granth have come out in the open with violence breaking out in a gurudwara in which three people were injured.
A group of Sikhs protesting the holding of a religious congregation by sect leader Ashutosh Maharaj in Ludhiana clashed with the police, which used tear gas and batons to quell them, leaving one dead and 12 others injured.
Rithu (Seasons) is a buddy tale that blooms in the changing social and emotional landscape of a small south Indian town.
Former Union Minister Buta Singh, one of the most powerful ministers in the Cabinet of former late prime minister Indira Gandhi, revealed that he had been handpicked by her to reconstruct the Sri Akal Takhat Sahib and other gurudwaras after the Operation Blue Star.
The actress who made her debut as a three-year-old in Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare more than two decades ago, now turns director.
Emotions ran high as the farmers performed ardas (prayers) and havan to thank the almighty and started their 'victory march' from Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur protest sites to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in convoys of tractors, bedecked with colourful flowers and lights and blaring songs of jubilation.
Making an early morning trip to the holiest Sikh shrine, Dr Singh accompanied by his wife Gurusharan reached the complex at 6 am and spent an hour there.
Gyani Gurbachan Singh, the Jathedar Akal Takht (highest Sikh temporal seat), expressed shock over the behaviour of Sikh cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who danced on television dance show, Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena with Mona Singh, wearing a tilak and dressed as Ravana.
Irrespective of their voting preferences, most voters would find this comparison with ISIS revolting. More specifically, would it persuade anybody who voted for Narendra Modi to change her or his mind? asks Shekhar Gupta.
Armed with hope and a revolutionary poem by noted Punjabi poet 'Pash', a farmer cycled nearly 400 km from Fardikot to the Tikri border to join the massive protest by peasants against the new farm laws.
'Kirtans' (hymns) were sung and prayers offered as Bhindranwale's portrait was placed alongside paintings dating to the 15th century in the Sikh heritage museum.
In a controversial action, the highest Sikh temporal seat on Sunday declared the assassins of former prime minister Indira Gandhi as martyrs of the community.
The Kartarpur corridor was an excellent opportunity for the Congress to seize centre-stage in Sikh religious affairs. After all, the Akalis never achieved this in their years in power, says Sanjeev Nayyar.
DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna, who defeated SAD for a second time in committee elections last month, also demanded in a statement that the SGPC, the top Sikh religious administration controlled by Badal's SAD, take action against Sidhu.
Shyamaprasad talks about his new Malayalam film starring Mammootty and Meera Jasmine.
No violence was reported from any part of the state and the situation was peaceful and under control.
The Dera Sacha Sauda on Friday moved a petition before the Supreme Court seeking protection for all the Deras across the country against an alleged ultimatum given by the Akal Takht to vacate them by May 27 and stop their activities.
The Sikh high priests have called for a Punjab bandh on May 22.
Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has apologised for dressing up like Guru Gobind Singh.
The Sikh high priests have also demanded that Ram Rahim tender an unqualified apology for wearing clothes similar to that of the tenth Guru Gobind Singh.
Over 100,000 devotees have reached the temple town from all over the world for the event.
The issue was Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vendanti's liberal attitude towards Baba Dhanwant Singh, chief of the Nawanshahar-based Vishwa Noor Roohani Satsang, allegedly involved in a rape case.
