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Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, 13 April 1919

Oral History Division’s Record (Extracts), NMML
This Day in Indian History: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre,
13 April 1919

                        On this day, thousands of people had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, to celebrate the Baisakhi festival, most of them unaware that the Punjab was under Martial Law. General Dyer, a British military officer, reached the Bagh with his troops and blocked its main exit and without warning, ordered his troops to open fire on the innocent and unarmed people assembled there.

Some excerpts from the transcripts of the recording of OHD:

Principal Devaprasad Ghosh (Member, Rajya Sabha, 1952-54 and President, Bharatiya Jan Sangh, 1955-67)
Principal Devaprasad Ghosh: After the War was over, things began to occur with startling rapidity. During the War there were Defence of India Regulations but these regulations expired six months after the close of the War and the Indian Government thought it fit to bring in another permanent legislation popularly known as the Rowlatt Act practically embodying the provisions of the Defence of India Rules. The introduction of this Rowlatt Bill at the close of the War naturally caused great indignation amongst the Indian public.
                                           Surendranath Banerjea, the great moderate leader, who was then a member of the Imperial Legislative Council, led the Opposition there, whereas outside the Council Gandhiji started a movement of protest. This movement led to a sort of chain reaction. Gandhiji proclaimed hartals repeatedly. As a result, he was arrested on 9 April 1919. Gandhiji's arrest produced serious repercussions particularly in the Punjab where disorders on a big scale broke out. To quell these disorders the government had recourse to very strong measures culminating in what is known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April 1919 on the Baisakhi Day at Amritsar. ... the net result was that throughout India protests and indignation were voiced. Even the poet, Rabindranath Tagore, who was not a political man at all renounced his Knighthood as a gesture of protest. 


Shri Jagat Ram Joshi (Freedom Fighter, President, Delhi City Congress Committee, 1968, and present at Jallianwala Bagh)
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