Sikh 8 June 1984, ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to remove militant religious leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed followers from the buildings of the Harmandir Sahib complex in Amritsar, Punjab. In July 1983, the Sikh political party Akali Dal's President Harchand Singh Longowal had invited Bhindranwale to take up residence in Golden Temple Complex to evade arrest. Bhindranwale later on made the sacred temple complex an armoury and headquarters. In the violent events leading up to the Operation Blue Star since the inception of Akali Dharm Yudh Morcha, the militants had killed 165 Hindus and Nirankaris, even 39
Nishan Sahib Sahib can be seen from far away, signifying the presence of Khalsa in the neighbourhood. It is taken down every Baisakhi (harvest festival, mid-April in the Gregorian calendar), and replaced with a fresh flag, and the flagpole refurbished. During the times of Guru Amar Das the Nishan Sahib was white, to represent peace and simplicity. During the time of Guru Hargobind, however the Nishan Sahib changed into a shade of yellow, known as Basanti. After the creation of Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh introduced blue flag, which is still the colour of the Nihang flags. The first Sikh flags were plain,