Tag: Jallianwala Bagh

  • Chimanlal Setalvad did not give clean chit to Gen Dyer for Jallianwala Bagh massacre: Historians

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Activist Teesta Setalvad’s great-grandfather Chimanlal Setalvad, a member of the Hunter Commission probing the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, was not party to the panel’s verdict and gave a dissenting judgment holding Gen Reginald Dyer responsible, say historians.

    Social media posts, with thousands of likes and retweets, recently claimed Chimanlal Setalvad, one of the three Indians on the seven-member panel, was among those who gave a “clean chit” to Dyer for his actions that fateful April 13, 1919 day.

    But that is not true, countered historian Chaman Lal.

    “The Hunter Commission had British as well as Indian members. The Indian members gave a separate dissenting report in which they blamed not only Dyer but also Michael O’Dwyer — then lieutenant governor of Punjab — for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre,” Lal told PTI.

    “The Indian members report, called the ‘minority report’, was a very strongly worded one,” Lal added.

    He stressed that Setalvad, a “learned member of the Hunter Commission”, did not give a “clean chit” to the perpetrators of the Amritsar massacre.

    British historian Kim Wagner’s 2019 book “Amritsar 1919: An Empire of Fear and the Making of a Massacre” backs Lal’s submission.

    It says the minority report criticised Dyer’s action “more strongly” than the majority report.

    Quoting from the minority report, it says the Indian members described the firing at the Jallianwala Bagh as “inhuman and un-British”, even comparing it to the atrocities by German military officers in Belgium and France in 1914.

    The issue of the Hunter Commission and Setalvad’s role came back into the spotlight with several verified social media accounts, including that of RSS-affiliated magazine ‘Organiser Weekly’ and senior journalist Kanchan Gupta, attacking him.

    “Did you know? Fraud activist #TeestaSetalvad is great-granddaughter of Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad. C.H.Setalvad was a member of the #HunterCommission’ on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Hunter Commission gave a clean chit to General Dyer who ordered the firing on civilians,” tweeted Organiser Weekly.

    READ HERE | India rejects UN rights official’s remark on Teesta Setalvad’s arrest

    A similar post, tweeted by Kanchan Gupta, currently a senior advisor in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, generated almost 9,200 likes and over 4,250 retweets.

    The posts followed the arrest of Teesta Setalvad in June for allegedly submitting false evidence in the 2002 Gujarat riots case.

    A 100 yrs ago, a brute firing on close to 2,000 peaceful protesters, by d ‘Butcher of Punjab’ Dyer exposed d designs of a colonial regime. How mch hve police attitudes been made accountable? Jagat Narain Singh, Sultan Ahmed & Chimanlal Setalvad fild the Minority Rep (Hunter Com) pic.twitter.com/14YFnTeKmp
    — Teesta Setalvad (@TeestaSetalvad) April 13, 2019
    On April 13, 1919, hundreds of people who had gathered at Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh to stage a peaceful protest against the Rowlatt Act, which granted the colonial administration repressive powers, were gunned down by British forces led by Gen Dyer.

    Though the actual death toll is still disputed, official figures put the number of people killed at 379 and wounded at over 1,200.

    The four British members on the Hunter Commission were George C Rankin, Walter Francis Rice, Sir George de Symons Barrow and Thomas Smith.

    The Indian members were Chimanlal Setalvad, Pandit Jagat Narayan and Sardar Sahibzada Sultan Ahmad Khan.

    The panel’s submissions were split into a majority and a minority report, which was signed by the three Indian members.

    On October 14, 1919, the government of India announced the formation of the ‘Disorders Inquiry Committee’ to investigate the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

    ALSO READ | ‘Bogus and baseless’: Congress on BJP charge that Sonia was behind Teesta Setalvad’s campaign against Modi

    The Committee was later called the Hunter Commission after its chairman Lord William Hunter.

    “We feel that Dyer, by adopting an inhuman and un-British method of dealing with subjects of His Majesty the King Emperor, has done great disservice to the interest of British rule in India,” Wagner says in the book, quoting from the minority report.

    The book also says eminent jurist Chimanlal’s “provocative questioning” resulted in Dyer making “self-damaging statements”.

    Citing an example from the Disorders Inquiry Committee report, it says Dyer’s shocking admission of opening fire with machine guns if the passage was wide enough to allow the armoured cars to go inside the Jallianwala Bagh was in reply to Setalvad’s question.

    The book also throws light on an “unpleasant incident” that occurred between Setalvad and Lord Hunter, further proving that the Indian and British members of the Commission were not on the same page.

    The incident described by Setalvad in his autobiography “Recollections and Reflections” — and produced in Wagner’s book — describes Hunter losing his temper at Setalvad and telling him, “They (Setalvad and his Indian colleagues) want to drive the British out of the country.”

    Setalvad replied, “It is perfectly legitimate for Indians to be free of foreign rule and Independence can be accomplished by mutual understanding and goodwill. The driving out process will only become necessary if the British are represented in this country by people as short-sighted and intolerant as yourself.”

    After this, though under the same roof, we, the Indian members, ceased to talk to Lord Hunter,” the book says, quoting from Setalvad’s autobiography.

    READ HERE | Jallianwala Bagh: Kim Wagner on why there was nothing uniquely ‘evil’ about General Dyer

    In fact, according to the book, the minority report of the Hunter Commission was “precisely similar” to the non-official enquiry committee report of the Congress, which had Motilal Nehru, CR Das, Abbas Tyabji, M.R.Jayakar and Mahatma Gandhi as its members. It also underscored that unlike the majority report, the minority report had blamed Dyer for not attending to the wounded.”

    “The Minority took a graver view of his (Dyer) responsibility and condemned his neglect as brutal and inhuman,” it added.

    Chimanlal Setalvad’s great-granddaughter Teesta Setalvad is a Mumbai-based journalist-turned-rights activist.

    She runs the NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace, formed after the 2002 Gujarat riots to provide support to the victims.

    MC Setalvad, India’s first attorney-general, was her grandfather.

    The claim that Chimanlal Setalvad, a member of the Hunter Commission set up in 1919 to probe the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, gave a “clean chit” to Gen Reginald Dyer is ‘misleading’.

    NEW DELHI: Activist Teesta Setalvad’s great-grandfather Chimanlal Setalvad, a member of the Hunter Commission probing the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, was not party to the panel’s verdict and gave a dissenting judgment holding Gen Reginald Dyer responsible, say historians.

    Social media posts, with thousands of likes and retweets, recently claimed Chimanlal Setalvad, one of the three Indians on the seven-member panel, was among those who gave a “clean chit” to Dyer for his actions that fateful April 13, 1919 day.

    But that is not true, countered historian Chaman Lal.

    “The Hunter Commission had British as well as Indian members. The Indian members gave a separate dissenting report in which they blamed not only Dyer but also Michael O’Dwyer — then lieutenant governor of Punjab — for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre,” Lal told PTI.

    “The Indian members report, called the ‘minority report’, was a very strongly worded one,” Lal added.

    He stressed that Setalvad, a “learned member of the Hunter Commission”, did not give a “clean chit” to the perpetrators of the Amritsar massacre.

    British historian Kim Wagner’s 2019 book “Amritsar 1919: An Empire of Fear and the Making of a Massacre” backs Lal’s submission.

    It says the minority report criticised Dyer’s action “more strongly” than the majority report.

    Quoting from the minority report, it says the Indian members described the firing at the Jallianwala Bagh as “inhuman and un-British”, even comparing it to the atrocities by German military officers in Belgium and France in 1914.

    The issue of the Hunter Commission and Setalvad’s role came back into the spotlight with several verified social media accounts, including that of RSS-affiliated magazine ‘Organiser Weekly’ and senior journalist Kanchan Gupta, attacking him.

    “Did you know? Fraud activist #TeestaSetalvad is great-granddaughter of Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad. C.H.Setalvad was a member of the #HunterCommission’ on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Hunter Commission gave a clean chit to General Dyer who ordered the firing on civilians,” tweeted Organiser Weekly.

    READ HERE | India rejects UN rights official’s remark on Teesta Setalvad’s arrest

    A similar post, tweeted by Kanchan Gupta, currently a senior advisor in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, generated almost 9,200 likes and over 4,250 retweets.

    The posts followed the arrest of Teesta Setalvad in June for allegedly submitting false evidence in the 2002 Gujarat riots case.

    A 100 yrs ago, a brute firing on close to 2,000 peaceful protesters, by d ‘Butcher of Punjab’ Dyer exposed d designs of a colonial regime. How mch hve police attitudes been made accountable? Jagat Narain Singh, Sultan Ahmed & Chimanlal Setalvad fild the Minority Rep (Hunter Com) pic.twitter.com/14YFnTeKmp
    — Teesta Setalvad (@TeestaSetalvad) April 13, 2019
    On April 13, 1919, hundreds of people who had gathered at Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh to stage a peaceful protest against the Rowlatt Act, which granted the colonial administration repressive powers, were gunned down by British forces led by Gen Dyer.

    Though the actual death toll is still disputed, official figures put the number of people killed at 379 and wounded at over 1,200.

    The four British members on the Hunter Commission were George C Rankin, Walter Francis Rice, Sir George de Symons Barrow and Thomas Smith.

    The Indian members were Chimanlal Setalvad, Pandit Jagat Narayan and Sardar Sahibzada Sultan Ahmad Khan.

    The panel’s submissions were split into a majority and a minority report, which was signed by the three Indian members.

    On October 14, 1919, the government of India announced the formation of the ‘Disorders Inquiry Committee’ to investigate the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

    ALSO READ | ‘Bogus and baseless’: Congress on BJP charge that Sonia was behind Teesta Setalvad’s campaign against Modi

    The Committee was later called the Hunter Commission after its chairman Lord William Hunter.

    “We feel that Dyer, by adopting an inhuman and un-British method of dealing with subjects of His Majesty the King Emperor, has done great disservice to the interest of British rule in India,” Wagner says in the book, quoting from the minority report.

    The book also says eminent jurist Chimanlal’s “provocative questioning” resulted in Dyer making “self-damaging statements”.

    Citing an example from the Disorders Inquiry Committee report, it says Dyer’s shocking admission of opening fire with machine guns if the passage was wide enough to allow the armoured cars to go inside the Jallianwala Bagh was in reply to Setalvad’s question.

    The book also throws light on an “unpleasant incident” that occurred between Setalvad and Lord Hunter, further proving that the Indian and British members of the Commission were not on the same page.

    The incident described by Setalvad in his autobiography “Recollections and Reflections” — and produced in Wagner’s book — describes Hunter losing his temper at Setalvad and telling him, “They (Setalvad and his Indian colleagues) want to drive the British out of the country.”

    Setalvad replied, “It is perfectly legitimate for Indians to be free of foreign rule and Independence can be accomplished by mutual understanding and goodwill. The driving out process will only become necessary if the British are represented in this country by people as short-sighted and intolerant as yourself.”

    After this, though under the same roof, we, the Indian members, ceased to talk to Lord Hunter,” the book says, quoting from Setalvad’s autobiography.

    READ HERE | Jallianwala Bagh: Kim Wagner on why there was nothing uniquely ‘evil’ about General Dyer

    In fact, according to the book, the minority report of the Hunter Commission was “precisely similar” to the non-official enquiry committee report of the Congress, which had Motilal Nehru, CR Das, Abbas Tyabji, M.R.Jayakar and Mahatma Gandhi as its members. It also underscored that unlike the majority report, the minority report had blamed Dyer for not attending to the wounded.”

    “The Minority took a graver view of his (Dyer) responsibility and condemned his neglect as brutal and inhuman,” it added.

    Chimanlal Setalvad’s great-granddaughter Teesta Setalvad is a Mumbai-based journalist-turned-rights activist.

    She runs the NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace, formed after the 2002 Gujarat riots to provide support to the victims.

    MC Setalvad, India’s first attorney-general, was her grandfather.

    The claim that Chimanlal Setalvad, a member of the Hunter Commission set up in 1919 to probe the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, gave a “clean chit” to Gen Reginald Dyer is ‘misleading’.

  • ‘It’s an attempt to erase history’: Kin of Jallianwala Bagh martyrs oppose renovations of memorial

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The renovation of the historic Jallianwala Bagh memorial in Amritsar has evoked criticism from the family members of the martyrs who have termed it ‘an attempt to erase their ancestors’ history’.

    These families have written a letter to the Union Ministry of Culture in which they objected against the renovation of the historic ‘Shaheedi Khoo’ (martyr’s well) in which hundreds of freedom fighters had jumped into in a bid to save their lives from the ferocious onslaught from Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer. They demanded the restoration of the original landscape and architecture of the monument.

    Talking to The New Indian Express, president of Jallianwala Bagh Freedom Fighters Foundation Sunil Kapoor said, “Yesterday, we wrote a letter to Raghvendra Singh, Secretary, Union Ministry of Culture and raised objections. There are flaws in the renovation of the monument. The tiny alley through which one enters the Jallianwala Bagh has been replaced with murals. Also, the iron grills at the place have distorted the heritage. These should be immediately removed and the old look should be restored as it was a testimony to the cruelty of British troops. 

    ALSO READ | Jallianwala Bagh complex restored with utmost respect: Culture Ministry

    The (Amar Jyoti) flame, which was earlier at the entrance of the memorial, has also been shifted to the back side of the Jallianwala Bagh. The renovated memorial will not evoke patriotic feelings. Now the visitors would think this place as the same as any other picnic spot.”

    Sunil Kapoor is the great-grandson of Lala Wasoo Mal Kapoor who was killed at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919. 

    “The renovation of ‘Shaheedi Khoo’ (martyrs’ well) has almost been erased its history. The old bricks, grills, crowns on the well have been removed. Now, it is enclosed in glass as the new structure has been erected above.” “The pillar on which Dyer stood and ordered firing has also been erased. It should be rebuilt at the same place. 

    Kapoor said that the foundation demands that no eatables be allowed inside the monument as it is not a picnic spot.  A wall of martyrs should also be erected so that it can depict the individual stories of the martyrs. The members of the foundation led a peaceful protest inside the Jallianwala Bagh on Friday.

  • Jallianwala Bagh complex restored with utmost respect: Culture Ministry

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Amid allegations the government was “glamourising” the Jallianwala Bagh complex, the Culture Ministry on Wednesday said it has been “restored” by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the agency that has restored World Heritage sites in the country, to conserve it for posterity.

    It also said a “poignant” soundtrack has been chosen as part of the sound and light show describing the event on the day of the massacre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated four new galleries and opened the renovated memorial virtually, a year-and-a-half after it was closed for the revamp.

    The well into which the people jumped when forces led by Reginald Dyer opened fire on them has been covered with a transparent barrier. The narrow entrance has been adorned with sculptures. A daily sound and light show explaining the events has been started.

    Ministry of Culture Secretary Raghvendra Singh argued the complex was in dire need of conservation. “It has been restored by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which is the agency that restored World Heritage sites in the country. Instead of letting a derelict structure to fall, we have restored it to conserve it for posterity,” he told PTI, but refused to comment on the political storm brewing over the restoration.

    On the criticism over the light and sound show, Singh said that the show existed but it became defunct over time. “The soundtrack is so poignant. It has been very sensitively done and is informative as well. Anyone coming to this place will leave better informed. The galleries too have been improved, technology has been improved to bring out the poignancy of the killings of innocents and how the incident influenced other bravehearts,” said Singh.

    He said the work has been done with “utmost respect”.

    Slamming the revamp, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said only a person who does not know the “meaning of martyrdom can inflict such an insult on the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh”. “I am the son of a martyr – I will not tolerate the insult of martyrs at any cost. We are against this indecent cruelty,” he had earlier this week.

    Some historians have also criticised the work terming it an “insult towards the martyrs”. “This is corporatisation of monuments, where they end up as modern structures, losing the heritage value. Look after them without meddling with the flavours of the period these memorials represent,” tweeted historian S Irfan Habib.

    Officials, however, say that these allegations are “untrue”. They said the accusation that the bullet marks have even “hidden” was false. The bullet marks have been conserved, they said. They said the earlier structure was “filthy” with defunct fountains which have now been restored, cleaned and a lily pond installed.

    The entire area has been landscaped, officials said, making the place visually appealing. Officials involved in the process said the well was covered with rubbish, now it has been restored and even lit from inside.

    Officials said that in terms of tourist footfall too, the restoration will bring rich dividends for the city. Near to the Golden Temple, the renovated complex is expected to draw in tourists with its moesha halls, laser show and galleries, the ministry hopes.

    The Golden Temple received a footfall of around one lakh per day during the week and 1.5 lakh during weekends and special day before the coronavirus crisis forced its closure.

    Over 1,000 people were killed and hundreds wounded on April 13, 1919 when British troops fired indiscriminately on an unarmed gathering of thousands who had assembled in Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab amid nationwide protests against the Rowlatt Act which had extended wartime repressive measures.

  • ‘Insult of martyrs’: Rahul slams government’s Jallianwala Bagh memorial revamp

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed the government’s revamp of the Jallianwala Bagh memorial an “insult to martyrs”, saying only a person who does not know the meaning of martyrdom can inflict such an insult.

    The former Congress chief’s attack came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dedicated to the nation the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh memorial.

    During the event, Modi also digitally inaugurated the museum galleries at the memorial.

    The event also showcased the multiple development initiatives undertaken by the government to upgrade the complex.

    Tagging a report on the social media outrage over the revamp of the memorial, Gandhi tweeted, “Only a person who does not know the meaning of martyrdom can inflict such an insult on the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh.”

    “I am the son of a martyr – I will not tolerate the insult of martyrs at any cost,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

    “We are against this indecent cruelty.”

    In another tweet, Gandhi said those who didn’t struggle for freedom can’t understand those who did.

    Stressing that it is a country’s duty to protect its history, Prime Minister Modi had said that events of the past “teach us and give us direction to move forward”.

    As part of the inaugural event, a wreath-laying ceremony was also held and two-minute silence was observed in the memory of those killed in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

    A sound and light show was held to depict the events of the day of the massacre.

    Over 1,000 people were killed and hundreds wounded on April 13, 1919 when British troops fired indiscriminately on an unarmed gathering of thousands who had assembled in Jallianwala Bagh amid nationwide protests against the Rowlatt Act which had extended wartime repressive measures.

  • Lathicharge on Haryana farmers akin to second Jallianwala Bagh; Khattar must go: Shiv Sena

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Monday termed as the “second Jallianwala Bagh” the lathicharge on farmers by the police in Haryana and said the ML Khattar government has no right to remain in power anymore.

    An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inaugurating the renovated Jallianwala Bagh complex in Amritsar, a second Jallianwala Bagh was happening in Haryana.

    At least 10 people were injured on Saturday as police lathicharged a group of farmers disrupting traffic movement on a highway in Haryana while heading towards Karnal to protest against a Bharatiya Janata Party meeting attended by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, state BJP president Om Prakash Dhankar and other leaders.

    “The seeds of cruelty being sown by the government will bear sour fruits. This is for sure. The Manohar Lal Khattar government has no right to remain in power,” the Sena said.

    It said the lathicharge incident might make farmers in India revolt and take revenge for each drop of blood that was shed by them.

    “The farmers in Haryana were lathicharged on their heads because they raised slogans against CM Khattar. A Union minister speaks of attacking the chief minister of Maharashtra and when action is taken against him legally, the state government is called intolerant. Why are the critics silent on the Khattar government’s action on farmers?” the Sena asked.

    Union minister and BJP MP Narayan Rane was arrested on August 24 after his “would have slapped CM Thackeray for the latter’s ignorance of the year of India’s independence” remarks kicked up a huge row.

    He was released on bail the same night.

    “Farmers have been protesting at the Ghazipur border near Delhi for the last one year demanding repealing of the three Central farm laws, stopping privatisation of agriculture and preventing APMCs from being taken over by select corporates, MSP law. But PM Modi hasn’t met them yet. The government is so stone-hearted. The government wants ‘Jan Ashirwad’. Will they get the ‘Ashirvad’ (blessings) of people by breaking the heads of farmers,” the editorial asked.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday virtually inaugurated the renovated complex of the Jallianwala Bagh memorial.

    On April 13, 1919 the British forces fired indiscriminately on a large and peaceful gathering of protesters at the Jallianwala Bagh at Amritsar in Punjab, killing over 1,000 people and wounding hundreds of them.

  • Renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial a symbol of inspiration for youth: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Describing the renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial as a “tribute to the great martyrs and a symbol of inspiration for the youth”, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday said it must serve as a reminder for future generations about the right of people to peaceful democratic protest.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak virtually on Saturday.

    In an oblique reference to the ongoing farmers’ agitation against three contentious farm laws, the chief minister said the smarak, along with the Jallianwala Bagh centenary memorial recently dedicated to the people by the state government, should serve to remind leaders of the inalienable right of Indians to conduct peaceful democratic protests, which could not be stifled, as the British also learnt from the Jallianwala Bagh incident.

    The smarak and the centenary memorial established by the state government “seek to pay tribute to the great martyrs so that history may always remember their sacrifice and our present and future generations can draw inspiration from their patriotism,” said the chief minister, in his brief remarks before Prime Minister Modi virtually inaugurated it.

    The CM requested the prime minister to make efforts to bring back personal effects, pistol and personal diary of martyr Udham Singh from the UK.

    He said he had already written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in this regard.

    Describing the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial as “an everlasting symbol of non-violent and peaceful struggle for the freedom of India,” the chief minister said that “at another level, it also stands testimony to one of the most barbaric acts of violence and State oppression perpetrated on a group of peacefully assembled people.”

    Over 1,000 people were killed and hundreds wounded on April 13, 1919 when British troops fired indiscriminately on an unarmed gathering of thousands who had assembled in Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab amid nationwide protests against the Rowlatt Act which had extended wartime repressive measures.

    The chief minister said the killings shook the moral conscience of not only the entire nation but the whole world, he said, adding that it sounded the death knell for the British Rule in India.

  • Prime Minister inaugurates renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh memorial

    By PTI

    AMRITSAR: Stressing that it is a country’s duty to protect its history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that events of the past “teach us and give us direction to move forward”, as he dedicated to the nation the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh memorial.

    Modi, who inaugurated the complex virtually, paid homage to the Jallianwala Bagh martyrs.

    “The global developments remind us of the importance of self-reliance and self-confidence. At a time when we are celebrating Amrut Mahotsav, we should strengthen our nation’s foundation and take pride in it,” the prime minister said.

    “Today, if any Indian is in trouble anywhere in the world, then India stands up to help him with all its might. Be it the Corona period or the crisis of Afghanistan, the world has experienced it continuously. Hundreds of people from Afghanistan are being brought to India under Operation Devi Shakti,” the prime minister said.

    He said the dedication of the renovated complex in the country’s 75th year of freedom is a matter of inspiration for all.

    “It is the duty of every country to protect its history. Events of past teach us and give direction to move forward,” he said.

    Horrors like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Partition speak of the sacrifices made for India’s freedom and should not be forgotten as they inspire to keep the country above all, the prime minister said.

    “It is not right for any country to ignore such horrors of its past,” he said, noting August 14 is now being observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

    “This place will inspire future generations about the journey of our Independence movement, the sacrifices and countless struggles of our ancestors. What should be our duty towards our nation and how we should keep the country above all in everything we do, the inspiration for this will come from this place,” the PM said.

    Quoting Gurbani, the prime minister said happiness emanates from empathy and service.

    For the all-round progress of Punjab and the country, a combined effort is needed, he said, adding “virasat (heritage) and vikaas (development) must coexist”.

    A wreath-laying ceremony was held and a two-minute silence was observed in the memory of martyrs of the Jallianwala massacre.

    Museum galleries have been developed at the memorial and the event showcased multiple development initiatives taken by the government to upgrade the complex.

    A sound and light show has been set up to display the events of April 13, 1919.

    Four museum galleries have been created through adaptive reuse of redundant and underutilised buildings.

    They showcase the historical value of events that unfolded in Punjab during that period, with the fusion of audio-visual technology, including projection mapping and 3D representation, as well as art and sculptural installations.

    Over 1,000 people were killed and hundreds wounded on April 13, 1919 when British troops fired indiscriminately on an unarmed gathering of thousands who had assembled in Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab amid nationwide protests against the Rowlatt Act which had extended wartime repressive measures.

  • Amarinder lays foundation stone of Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial park

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday laid the foundation stone of the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial park at Amritsar, dedicated to unsung heroes of the massacre.

    He paid an emotional tribute to the unsung heroes of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and to their families by reciting a poem.

    The chief minister virtually laid the foundation of the memorial park.

    The Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial Park, to come up over 4490 square metres at Amrit Anand Park in Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar, will stand out as a remembrance for the future generations, Amarinder Singh said.

    To be built at a cost of Rs 3.52 crore, the memorial will have soil brought by the kin of martyrs or panchayats/sarpanchs/councillors.

    Remembering the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for India’s independence, the chief minister slammed those criticising the state government for setting up this memorial, and said every Punjabi has the right to remember the unparalleled tragedy that paved the way for the freedom struggle.

    Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Malik had raised concern over erecting a separate memorial and dubbed it as a “political move” of the state Congress.

    Malik had accused the Congress of failing to contribute towards making the original historical site an ideal place.

    The Jallianwala Bagh is located nearly 6 km away from where the memorial park for which the foundation stone was laid by the chief minister.

    On the occasion, the chief minister announced a Jallianwala Bagh Chair at the Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) and a literary festival dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives in one of the world’s biggest humanitarian tragedy, as per an official statement here.

    “The sky frequents daily to weep here, The arrows still sting in Punjab’s heart,” Amarinder Singh read from literary historian Rakshanda Jalil’s poem on the massacre.

    Noting that the exact number of deaths in the massacre was still not known, the chief minister asked Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to ensure that the research into the data is completed so that the exact number can be ascertained and small memorials also can be built in their villages.

    The massacre took place at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar during the Baisakhi festival in April 1919 when the British Indian Army under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer opened fire at a crowd staging a pro-independence demonstration, leaving scores dead.

    Pointing out that Dyer had cited the figure of 200-300 deaths of the 5,000 people he said had gathered there, Amarinder said, “Gandhi ji had put the figure at 1500, of which the names of only 492 martyrs were currently available.

    ” He recalled his visit to the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, referred to as “Kala Pani”.

    Amarinder Singh said there were many names of Punjabis which nobody is aware of, and directed Channi to also get the information researched and compiled.

    His government would also build memorials for them in Punjab, he announced.

    On the occasion, the tourism and cultural affairs minister honoured 29 family members of 492 Jallianwala Bagh martyrs identified so far by the district administration.

  • AAP leader compares police action on farmers to Jallianwala Bagh episode, calls Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar General Dyer

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: AAP’s Punjab unit co-incharge Raghav Chadha on Monday compared Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar to British General Reginald Dyer, a day after the state police fired teargas shells on a group of farmers protesting the Centre’s new farm laws.

    Haryana Police on Sunday evening fired teargas canisters to thwart a march of a group of agitating farmers towards Delhi at Masani barrage in Rewari district.

    “I was reminded of April 13, 1919, when General Dyer ordered opening fire on innocent group of people who had congregated at Jallianwala Bagh,” Chadha said.

    “Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is ordering the use of tear gas, open firing and lathicharge on our farmer brothers who are only fighting for their rights. I believe his actions can only be compared to those of the ruthless General Dyer,” Chadha said, referring to the officer held responsible for the massacre.

    He further claimed that the governments of BJP-ruled states are treating farmers like the “enemy of the state”.

    “The shocking visuals of our farmer brothers being attacked with teargas and water cannons made it appear as if this was an India-Pakistan war,” Chadha said.

    Talking about the ongoing farmers’ movement, where each meeting between the farm unions and the Centre is reaching a stalemate, Chadha said the farmers have been fighting for their rights at Singhu and Tikri borders for 40 days now.

    “More than 50 of our farmer brothers have died, have given the supreme sacrifice, while fighting for their rights for more than a month. I appeal to the Narendra Modi government to not make this a battle of prestige or ego,” he said.