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Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale (Punjabi: ਜਰਨੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਭਿੰਡਰਾਂਵਾਲੇ) (February 12, 1947 – June 6, 1984) was a Jathedar or leader of the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh religious institution based in India. He spread the values of Sikhism to many Sikhs, in particular to the younger Sikhs of Punjab. Bhindranwale is more notable for his involvement in Operation Blue Star in which he and his supporters, most of them young devout Sikhs died defending the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He was killed by the Indian Army upon orders from Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Early life
Bhindranwale was born in the village of Rode, in the Faridkot District of Punjab, India. His father, Joginder Singh, was a farmer and a local Sikh leader. Jarnail Singh was the seventh of eight brothers. He was brought up as a strict vegetarian. In 1965, he was enrolled by his father at the Damdami Taksal, a religious school, near Moga, Punjab, then headed by Gurbachan Singh Khalsa. After a one year course in Sikh studies he returned to farming again. He continued his studies under Kartar Singh, who was the new head of the Taksal. He quickly became the favourite student of Kartar Singh. Kartar Singh was fatally injured in a car accident and nominated Bhindranwale as his successor, in preference to his son Amrik Singh. Amrik Singh later became close associate of Bhindranwale.
He married Pritam Kaur, daughter of Sucha Singh of Bilaspur. His wife bore him two sons, Ishar and Inderjit Singh, in 1971 and 1975, respectively. Pritam Kaur died of heart ailment at age 60, on September 15, 2007 in Jalandhar.
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