Introduction of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was a watershed moment in India's independence fight. It is also known as the Amritsar massacre, which occurred on April 13, 1919. A big but calm mob had assembled at Amritsar's Jallianwala Bagh to protest the arrest of Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satya Pal, who fought for India's independence. In reaction to the crowd, British Brigadier-Genera, Dyer encircled the Bagh with his troops. The Bagh could only be evacuated on one side since it was surrounded by houses on the other side. He commanded his forces to fire at the gathering after obstructing the entrance with his army. The men continued to fire until their weaponry was empty. Estimates of individuals deceased ranged beyond 500, with over 1,200 others wounded.
History of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
The April 1919 massacre was not a single occurrence but rather the result of a number of elements operating in the backdrop. One is the Rowlatt Act of 1919, which was approved, allowing the authorities to jail or confine anybody connected with traitorous acts. This sparked widespread discontent, and therefore, Satyagraha was started by Gandhi in order to resist the Act. On April 7, 1919, Gandhi released Satyagrahi, an article detailing strategies to fight the Act. Following this, the British officials negotiated how to stop Gandhi and other leaders from participating in this movement among themselves. Dyer, the then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, proposed that Gandhi be exiled to Myanmar, but his allies were hesitant to accept the idea because they feared it would arouse anger amongst the masses. Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satya Pal, two renowned figures who promoted Hindu-Muslim harmony, coordinated a peaceful protest against the Rowlatt Act in Amritsar. On April 9, 1919, Mr Irving, the then Deputy Commissioner, following the order of Dyer, arrested Kitchlew and Pal. The next day, protesters were enraged and preceded to the Deputy Commissioner's house to demand the liberation of their two leaders. But, they were attacked without cause. Countless individuals were also killed and injured.
After passing the Rowlatt Act, the Punjab Government set out to suppress all opposition. On April 13, 1919, people had gathered to celebrate Baisakhi. But the British officials thought it to be a political gathering. Despite Dyer's instructions forbidding illegal gathering, people assembled at Jallianwala Bagh to address two proposals, one protesting the April 10 massacre and the other seeking the government to liberate their leaders. When the news reached him, Dyer led his men to Bagh, arranged his forces, and commanded them to commence fire without any warning beforehand. People ran to the exits, but Dyer ordered his men to open fire. The fire lasted around 10-15 minutes. It was only when the bullets exhausted did the shooting stop. As a result, thousands of individuals had to sacrifice their lives for the independence of the country.
Significance of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was one of the catalysts for the non-cooperation movement. The genocide of thousands of innocent lives had outraged the whole country, and they had expected an explanation from Dyer and his men, but this was not the scenario. Aggravated by the British's incompetence, Gandhi initiated the Non-Cooperation protest in order to receive an explanation for the atrocities committed in Amritsar. The significance or essence of the massacre lies in the fact that it became one of the main starting points in our battle for independence. It stands as a symbol of struggle and sacrifice and continues to instil patriotism amongst the youth.
Aftermath of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
- In July 1919, 3 months after the massacre, the colonial governments appointed an inspection task force into the atrocity and asked individuals to come forth and disclose any serious injury or death that may have happened on that terrible day. It arrived at its conclusions using that flawed technique. One may reasonably imagine – and rightly so – that few individuals would have been eager to step forth and so be tagged by the British Raj. Indeed, some members recognised that the amount may have been greater than the actual estimate.
- Senior British authorities originally praised Brigadier-General Dyer for his participation in the killing. He allegedly told his superiors that he was "confronted with a revolutionary army." Dyer, who was given the title "Butcher of Amritsar," was later asked to resign and banished to Britain with a 26,000-pound ransom. He had been considered for a CBE, but it was annulled in 1920. He was also denied a transfer and barred from service to India in the future.
- By May 22 1919, Rabindranath Tagore, the noted Bengali poet, had been notified about the massacre. He attempted to organise a mass gathering in Bengal before opting to forfeit his British honour as a "symbolic gesture of resistance."
- Former British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith and then-Secretary of War Winston Churchill criticised the assault in vehement words, labelling the carnage "grotesque" in a statement to the House of Commons on July 8, 1920.
- The Disorders Inquiry Committee was created on October 14, 1919, to investigate the killings. It was later known as the Hunter Commission, which was ordered to provide a decision on the justification of the administration's efforts. All British officials engaged in the governance during the Amritsar unrest, including Dyer and Irving, were investigated. General Dyer's testimony before the Hunter Committee amounted to an admitting of the terrible crime he did. The Committee cited the killing as one of the worst incidents of the British administration. Dyer's activities were denounced by the Hunter Commission in 1920. As indicated in Montagu's letter to his Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief instructed Brigadier-General Dyer to quit his position as Brigade Commander and warned him that he would get no future job prospects in India.
- On March 13, 1940, Udham Singh, afterwards known as "Shaheed," assassinated Michael O' Dwyer (the British Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab at the time of the slaughter, who was considered by some as one of the principal architects of the Amritsar massacre) at Caxton Hall in London.
- On April 15, two days after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, a protest was organised in Gujranwala to mourn the fatalities. This gathering resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals and the employment of cops to calm the uproar.
Some Important Facts About Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
- Prior to the massacre, an enraged audience opposing the detention of Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew assaulted and abandoned an English missionary named Marcella to die in the streets.
- Aside from those killed or wounded by the gunshots, plenty of others died when they jumped into a well while attempting to flee the firing. The well is popularly known as the Martyr Well.
- The Indian National Congress erected a monument for the brave people who died on that tragic day, which Rajendra Prasad unveiled in 1961.
- Shingara Singh, the last known survivor of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, passed away at the age of 113 years on June 29, 2009, in Amritsar.
- Mahatma Gandhi returned the British government's 'Kaiser-i-Hind' honour for his involvement in the South African Boer War.
- Jallianwala Bagh has become a major tourist attraction and one of the best sites to visit in Amritsar as a result of this terrible tragedy. The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust currently looks for a garden. Numerous monuments linked to the massacre, like the martyr well, the bullet marks on the wall, the Flame of Liberty and others, remain within the fenced enclosure.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre Quotes, Messages and Wishes
It is the responsibility of each Indian to pay respect towards the people who lost their lives
Jallianwala Bagh balidanon ki kahaani hai. Mar mitengi kai kahaniyaan. Magar itihaas mein Jallianwala Bagh dard ki nishaani.
Their bloodstains still scream, their helplessness still haunts, their sacrifice still honored. Salute to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh.
Desh ki swatantrata ke liye apne pranon ki aahuti dene waale Jallianwala Bagh ke sabhi mahaan shaheedon ko bhavbhini shradhanjali.
A hundred years of the bloody Baisakhi.
1650 shots fired. Nation wounded forever.
Thousands died for the freedom of others. Salute to the Martyrs!
