Jallianwala bagh massacre is one the most disgruntled mass exodus event happened in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar Punjab in India a centenary back. Today it marks the 101st Death Anniversary of this brutal incident where hundreds of people were bloodshed while they grouped to celebrate Vaisakhi (Baisakhi).
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Brief About Vaisakhi (Baisakhi)
Vaisakhi, which is often as Baisakhi is a religiously historical festival in Sikhism faith. It is usually celebrated on 13 or 14 April every year, which commemorates the formation of Khalsa Panth of warriors under Guru Gobind Singh (10th Sikh Guru) in 1699. Also, Baisakhi is celebrated for the good harvest of Rabhi Crop in Northern parts of India.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
Jallianwala Bagh Hatyakand which is also known as Amritsar Massacre which took place on 13th April 1919 early morning when people gathered to celebrate their important festival of Vaisakhi.
Since Satyapal and Saifuddin who were town important leaders who were arrested by British then, Dyer Convinced a major insurrection could take place there for he banned all meetings. However this message was not widely disseminated and manny villagers gather to celebrate Baisakhi, also to peacefully protest the arrest of those two leaders.
Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer entered the garden with his troops. They blocked the main entrance behind them, took position on a raised bank with no warning opened fire on the crowd for about ten minutes until the ammunition supply was almost exhausted.
Facts on Jallianwala Bagah Incident
The following day of this brutal incident Dyer stated in a report that “I hear that between 200 and 300 of the crowd were killed. My party fired 1,650 rounds”.
Dyer was initially lauded for his actions in Britain and became a hero among many who were directly benefiting from the British Raj, such as members of the House of Lords.
He was, however, widely criticised in the House of Commons, whose July 1920 committee of investigation censured him. As he was a soldier acting on orders, therefore, he could not be tried for murder.
The military chose not to bring him before a court-martial, and he was only removed from his current appointment, turned down for a proposed promotion, and barred from further employment in India. Dyer retired from the army, and he returned to England, where he died unrepentant in 1927.
Hunter Commission
The Hunter Commission report published the following year by the Government of India criticised both Dyer and the Government of Punjab for failing to compile a casualty count, and quoted a figure offered by the Sewa Samiti (a Social Services Society) of 379 identified dead, and approximately 11,000 wounded, of which 192 were seriously injured.
The number of casualties estimated by the Indian National Congress was more than 1,500 injured, with approximately 1,000 dead.
Rabindranath Tagore renounced Knighthood
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre brutal events, responses polarized both the British and Indian people. Eminent author Rudyard Kipling declared at the time that Dyer “did his duty as he saw it”. While this incident shocked Rabindranath Tagore (the first Asian Nobel laureate) to such extent that he renounced his knighthood and stated that “such mass murderers aren’t worthy of giving any title to anyone“.
We pay homage to Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs who have sacrificed their life.
PM Narendra Modi pay homage Today on Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre
I bow to those martyrs who were killed mercilessly in Jallianwala Bagh on this day. We will never forget their courage and sacrifice. Their valour will inspire Indians for the years to come.