The Jallianwala Bagh massacre passed off 103 years in the past today (April 13, 1919). According to British government records, 379 people including men, ladies, and children were killed whereas 1,200 have been injured within the indiscriminate firing ordered by Colonel Reginald Dyer.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to the victims and mentioned that their unparalleled braveness and sacrifice will keep motivating the coming generations.
He also shared a video of the Jallianwala Bagh memorial complex that was inaugurated final year. He said that these 10 minutes of April 13, 1919, turned the immortal story of our freedom struggle, due to which we’re able to celebrate the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom at the moment.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other leaders too paid tributes, remembering the bloodbath as “a symbol of the ruthlessness and brutal atrocities of foreign rule.”
What happened on April 13, 1919
- The British had imposed a draconian Martial Law, banning public gatherings. Unaware, a crowd of unarmed protesters and pilgrims gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab’s Amritsar on the event of Baisakhi.
- The crowd had assembled to peacefully protest at the venue condemning the arrest of freedom fighters Satya Pal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew.
- When Colonel Dyer got to know about the gathering, he reached the venue with around 50 soldiers and asked them to fire on these folks.
- The firing went on for about 10 minutes and around 1,650 rounds of bullets were fired.
- According to British government, 379 folks died and 1,200 were wounded during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Some records say, nearly a thousand have been killed.
- The massacre angered Indians and Mahatma Gandhi gave a call for a non-cooperation movement.
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