Jallianwala Bagh, a quiet garden in Amritsar, has a dark and painful history. It is the place where on April 13, 1919, a peaceful meeting turned into a terrible massacre that deeply affected India and the freedom struggle. The sounds of that day's gunfire is still heard , reminding us of the innocent lives lost.
Jallianwala Bagh is more than just a place, it is a symbol of the strength and courage of the people, showing how they overcame this tragedy and continued their journey to freedom.
BACKGROUND
Defense of India Act
During World War I, British India contributed to the British war effort by providing men and resources. Millions of Indian soldiers and workers served in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, while the Indian administration and princes sent large shipments of food, money and ammunition.
Bengal and Punjab remained sources of anti-colonial activity. The revolutionary attacks in Bengal, increasingly linked to unrest in Punjab, were enough to almost paralyze the regional administration.
Of these, a pan-Indian mutiny in the British Indian Army planned for February 1915 was the most prominent amongst a number of plots formulated between 1914 and 1917 by Indian nationalists in India, the United States and Germany.
The uprising planned for February ultimately failed when British intelligence penetrated the Ghadar movement and arrested key figures. Revolts of smaller units and garrisons in India were also crushed. Due to Britain's war efforts and the threat of a separatist movement in India, the Defense of India Act of 1915 was passed, limiting civil and political liberties.
The Rowlatt Act
The Rowlatt Act of 1919, a draconian law passed by the British colonial government in India, cast a dark shadow over the nation and the struggle for independence. The law denied citizens basic freedoms and empowered authorities to arrest and imprison people without trial, suppressing dissent and causing widespread unrest. The repressive nature of the Rowlatt Act sparked violent protests across the country, with Mahatma Gandhi leading the charge for the violation of fundamental rights. Nowhere was this confrontation more fierce than in the city of Amritsar, the source of anti-colonial activity. The arrest of local leaders under the Act increased tensions and culminated.
Before the Massacre
In the volatile atmosphere of Punjab in 1919, the fervor for independence was reaching a boiling point, triggering disruptions in essential services like rail, telegraph, and communication systems. The intensity of the movement escalated to unprecedented levels by the first week of April, with reports suggesting massive crowds taking to the streets, particularly in Lahore, where an estimated 20,000 people marched through Anarkali Bazaar.
The British Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, Michael O'Dwyer, interpreted these events as early signs of a coordinated revolt, potentially mirroring the historical 1857 uprising. The fear of a Ghadarite uprising and the growing tension in Punjab set the stage for a tragic episode in Indian history.
Historians have debated whether the subsequent Amritsar massacre was a result of a planned strategy by the Punjab administration to suppress a perceived conspiracy. James Houssemayne Du Boulay suggested a direct link between the fear of a Ghadarite uprising and the British response that culminated in the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh.
The lead-up to the massacre included a protest on April 10, 1919, at the residence of Miles Irving, the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar. The protest aimed to secure the release of prominent leaders Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, advocates of the Satyagraha movement led by Gandhi. The military response to the demonstration resulted in violence, including arson attacks on British banks and the tragic killing of protesters.
On April 11, Marcella Sherwood, an English missionary, faced violence while attempting to secure the safety of Indian children under her care. This incident further fueled tensions, leading to Brigadier General Dyer's controversial order requiring native men to crawl the Kucha Kurrichhan on their hands and knees as a form of punishment.
As the unrest continued, the city of Amritsar experienced a brief period of calm, while violence persisted in other parts of Punjab. The British government responded by imposing martial law on most of Punjab, restricting civil liberties, including freedom of assembly.
On the evening of April 12, leaders of the hartal in Amritsar convened at the Hindu College – Dhab Khatikan. The decision was made to hold a public protest meeting at Jallianwala Bagh the next day. This meeting, organized by Muhammad Bashir and chaired by Congress Party leader Lal Kanhyalal Bhatia, aimed to voice strong opposition to the Rowlatt Act and recent British actions, as well as demand the release of Satyapal and Kitchlew.
Massacre
On Sunday, April 13, 1919, Dyer, convinced that a serious disturbance might occur, forbade all meetings. The announcement was not widely disseminated and many villagers gathered in the Bagh to celebrate the Baisakhi festival and peacefully protest against the arrest and deportation of the two state leaders, Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew.
On the morning of 13 April 1919 at 09:00 am, the traditional Baisakhi festival, Reginald Dyer, Acting Military Commander of Amritsar and its environs, passed through the city along with several city officials to announce the introduction of a ticket. or leave Amritsar, the curfew will begin at 8:00 p.m. that evening, and all processions and public gatherings of four or more people will be prohibited. The advertisement was read and explained in English, Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi, but many did not pay attention or came to know about it only later. Meanwhile, the local police received information about the planned meeting at Jallianwala Bagh through word of mouth and plainclothes detectives. Dyer was notified of the meeting at 12:40 p.m. and returned to his base at approximately 1:30 p.m. to decide how to do it.
Dyer arrived at Bagh with a force of 50 men, all armed with .303 Lee-Enfield rifles.he made no attempt to warn the crowd to disperse peacefully. Instead, he ordered his soldiers to block the main exits and opened fire, missing the densest parts of the crowd. The narrow exits that were available were places where panicked people tried to escape and became prime targets for soldiers and shootout The shooting lasted for about ten minutes, resulting in the deaths of unarmed civilians, including men, women, the elderly and even children.
Casualties
In the immediate aftermath, various sources provided conflicting accounts of the chaos and attempts by the British authorities to suppress information.
Initial reports: Newspapers such as The Times of India, citing the Associated Press, initially reported about 200 dead on April 14, 1919, the day after the massacre.
Punjab government estimate: The Punjab government has been criticized for faulty data collection and offered a similar estimate of around 200 dead. However, a senior Punjab official admitted to the hunting commission that the actual figure could be higher.
Sewa Samiti Society and investigation: This independent investigation reports 379 deaths and 192 serious injuries. The Hunting Commission later accepted these figures as suggesting a death toll of around 1,500 based on the ratio of casualties to wounds.
Imperial Legislative Council Findings: A meeting presided over by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya on 12 September 1919 concluded that 42 boys were among the dead, the youngest being only 7 months old. The hunting commission confirmed the deaths of 337 men, 41 boys and a six-week-old baby.
Efforts three months after the massacre: In July 1919, the authorities tried to compile a list of the dead by calling on local volunteers to provide information. However, this was incomplete due to fears of retaliation and the possibility that some of the victims did not have close relatives in the area.
Statement by Winston Churchill: In the British parliament on July 8, 1920, Winston Churchill announced almost 400 dead and 3-4 times as many wounded.
Indian National Congress investigation: Taking into account incorrect official figures, the Indian National Congress conducted its own investigation estimating 1,500 casualties and approximately 1,000 deaths.
Correspondence of Swami Shraddhanand: Indian nationalist Swami Shraddhanand wrote to Mahatma Gandhi for about 1,500 deaths.
The different figures reflect the chaotic consequences and efforts to play down or hide the true scale of the tragedy. The differences in numbers also highlight the difficulty of accurately counting victims in such a tumultuous and oppressive historical context.
After the Massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre had a great impact on the socio-political landscape of India, dramatically changing public opinion and intensifying the struggle for independence from British rule.
Change in Indian public opinion: In the past, many Indians, especially moderates, were loyal or had faith in British rule. The massacre changed this radically, for the brutality of the act showed that India's aspirations for fair treatment under British rule were in vain. This event catalyzed significant changes, turning many moderate Indians into staunch nationalists and fueling widespread distrust of British intentions in India.
Political Decline in Great Britain: Despite condemnation from Churchill and Asquith, Dyer was regarded by a significant section of the British population as a hero who saved British rule in India. In the House of Commons, MPs overwhelmingly voted against Dyer and supported the government and its position.
Rabindranath Tagore and protest: Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European Nobel laureate, was deeply affected by the massacre. He tried to organize a protest meeting in Calcutta and finally decided to give up his British knighthood. That action was symbolic and represented his protest against the inhumanity of the British army in Punjab. Tagore's letter to the viceroy, Lord Chelmsford, was a sharp and pointed criticism of British action in India, emphasizing the humiliation and impotence of Indians under British rule.
Increased Nationalist Activism: Massacre Drives Indian Independence Movement. This led to an increase in nationalist activity as more Indians joined movements and organizations that sought to end British rule. The incident is often cited as the turning point that led to India's eventual independence in 1947.
International Impact: The case attracted international attention and criticism, putting the British government and Indian politics under the microscope. It emphasized the oppressive nature of colonial rule and influenced the global debate about colonialism and its effects.
Hunter Commission
The Hunter Commission, officially known as the Riots Inquiry Commission, was set up by the British government to investigate the events surrounding the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, India on 13 April 1919. It was founded in October 1919 and named after its president, the Scottish judge Lord William Hunter.
The purpose of the Commission was to investigate the nature and extent of the riots in the Punjab, the behavior of British officers during the events and the extent of the use of force. It consisted of both British and Indian members, reflecting an attempt to bring balance to research.
The commission began its work in November 1919 and published its report in March 1920. It interviewed witnesses, including soldiers, local officials and survivors of the massacre. Although the commission criticized the actions of Colonel Reginald Dyer, who ordered soldiers to fire on an unarmed crowd at Jallianwala Bagh, it also acknowledged the difficult conditions faced by the British authorities in Punjab at the time.
The report caused controversy , some saw it as a critical assessment of the excessive use of force, while others criticized it for being too soft on Dyer. As a result of the hunting commission's findings, Dyer was relieved of his command and forced to retire, but otherwise went unpunished. The commission and report played an important role in shaping Britain's response to the massacre and had a lasting impact on the Indian independence movement.
Assassination
Michael O'Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at the time of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, was considered by many Indians to be complicit in the events due to his support of Dyer's actions. O'Dwyer was assassinated by Udham Singh, an Indian independence activist, on March 13, 1940, in London. Singh held O'Dwyer responsible for the massacre and sought revenge for the atrocity.
Udham Singh's assassination of O'Dwyer was a significant event in the Indian struggle for independence. Singh became a celebrated figure in India, seen as a martyr who avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. His action highlighted the long-lasting impact and deep-seated resentment that the massacre had caused among Indians, both within India and in the diaspora.
Monuments and Legacy
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre left a deep and lasting impact on Indian history and consciousness, leading to the creation of various monuments and memorials to commemorate this tragic event.
Jallianwala Bagh Memorial: The most prominent memorial is the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial itself, located at the site of the Amritsar massacre in Punjab. Opened in 1961 by the President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the memorial is a garden kept in memory of the victims. It contains Martyrsand#039; A gallery, a flame-shaped monument and a well where many people jumped to escape the bullets.
Preserved bullet marks and martyr’s Well: The walls of Jallianwala Bagh still bear the bullet marks of the massacre and remain as a grim reminder of the incident. The pit where many victims tried to find safety but died is also a prominent part of the monument and symbolizes the despair and tragedy of that day.
Museums and exhibitions: Museums and exhibitions, both in India and abroad, often have sections dedicated to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, displaying photographs, documents and stories related to the event. These are educational materials that help keep the memory of the massacre in the public's mind.
Cultural Images: Killing has been depicted in various art forms, literature and films both in India and internationally. These works often depict the brutality of the event and its impact on India's freedom struggle, helping to preserve its legacy in cultural memory.
Annual commemorations: Every year on April 13, the anniversary of the massacre, commemorations are held at Jallianwala Bagh. These events include wreath-laying, cultural programs and patriotic activities involving dignitaries, local citizens and descendants of the victims.
Implications for Education: The Story of Jallianwala Bagh is an integral part of Indian history education. It is taught in schools and universities to ensure that future generations understand the sacrifices made in India and the struggle for independence.
International Recognition: The massacre received worldwide attention and recognition and is often mentioned in discussions about colonialism, human rights and the struggle for freedom and justice.
The monuments and heritage of Jallianwala Bagh are not only a tribute to those who lost their lives, but also a powerful symbol of the human cost of oppression and the enduring spirit of the freedom struggle.
Hence,This tragic event not only showed the brutality of imperial rule, but also sparked nationalism and resistance among the Indian people that led to the country's independence. The legacy of Jallianwala Bagh, preserved in national monuments and memorials, continues to remind us of the importance of protecting freedom, justice and human rights in all forms of brutality and oppression.
Conclusion
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre stands as a dark chapter in India's history, symbolizing the brutal oppression faced under British colonial rule. The tragic event, where hundreds of peaceful protestors were killed by British forces, galvanized the Indian independence movement and fueled the nation’s resolve for freedom. Today, Jallianwala Bagh remains a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made in the struggle for India's independence, serving as a testament to the resilience, courage, and unity of the Indian people in their pursuit of justice and self-determination.
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