Jalian Wala Bagh
In the 89 years of British rule in India, Britain’s only commitment was to loot India and suppress Indians using brutal power. All through the history, the nationalists protested against the invasion of their mother land and demanded freedom. Britain adopted strategies at all level to counter and crush such movements. In 1919, the British government passed the Rowlatt Act, a law which gave unlimited powers to the government such as political cases can be tried without juries and permitted keeping of suspects without trial. This was implemented based on the recommendations of Rowlett’s committee in1918.
There was a sudden uproar across India against this act. Mahatma Gandhi appealed to the people for peaceful protests across the Nation. On April 13, 1919 a protest meeting was planned by the local people at Amritsar’s Jalian Wala Bagh. The day was remarkable as it was Baisakhi, one of Punjab’s biggest festival. Anticipating protests, General Dyer, the acting Commander of Amritsar banned all public gatherings. People ignored general Dyers order and thousands gathered. General Dyer along with a battalion of fully armed soldiers marched toward the venue and blocked all exits. At 5.30 PM General Dyer, without any warning ordered his soldiers to fire at the unarmed crowd. The brutal nature of General Dyre was evident that he ordered his soldiers to focus the fire power to where it was more crowded. It was estimated that around thousand men, women and children was killed in that action. Many were killed in the stampede which followed. This cold blooded massacre by the British boosted the nationalistic spirit among Indians and more massive protests were followed. India ultimately won freedom in 1947. Twenty years after this incident, Udham Singh, who managed to escape from the Jalian Walah bagh as a young boy , later turned as a revolutionary and killed Michael O’Dwyer. Michael O’Dwayer was the Governor of Punjab in 1919 who had supported General Dyer’s massacre plan.
The ultimate sacrifice of hundreds of nationalist Indians at Jalin Walah Bagh should always be remembered . It is a gentle reminder to all Indians about the cost at which the freedom is enjoyed today.
