UK Judge orders Operation Blue Star related files to be made public
UK Judge Orders Operation Blue Star Related Files To Be Made Public
Declassification of documents have been ordered by a UK judge that will through further light on Britain's involvement in Operation Bluestar in 1984.
Judge Murray Shanks ruled on Monday that a majority of the files relating to the period must be made public. It also rejected the UK government's argument that declassifying the Downing Street papers would damage diplomatic ties with India.
The judge, however, did accept that one file marked "India: Political", from the UK's Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), could contain information that relates to British spy agencies MI5, MI6 and GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters).
"We recognise that the period we are concerned with was a highly sensitive one in India's recent history and the strength of feeling it continues to evoke it should also be remembered that the fact that 30 years has gone by is bound to have reduced any prejudice that may have resulted from release of the withheld material," the judgment said.
In 2014, UK government documents declassified under the 30-year rule to make such material public had revealed that British military advice was given to Indian forces prior to Operation Bluestar.
The files that must now be released in full include papers on UK-India relations from 1983 to 1985 - covering a meeting between Thatcher and Indira Gandhi's adviser, L.K. Jha, the situation in Punjab, Sikh activities and the assassination of Gandhi in October 1984.
Judge Shanks dismissed the UK government's claim that declassifying these papers would harm relations with India and said "it is worth noting that we have heard no evidence of any adverse reaction from the Indian government resulting from the events of January and February 2014", referring to the Heywood Review.
The UK Cabinet Office has been given time until July 11 to appeal against the First Tier Tribunal's decision. Alternatively, it must make the relevant documents available to Miller for his research by July 12.
