Jallianwala bagh massacre which year

A memorial was set up by the Government of India in at Jallianwala Bagh to commemorate the spirit of Indian revolutionaries and the people who lost their lives in the brutal massacre. It stands as a symbol of struggle and sacrifice and continues to instill patriotism amongst the youth.

In March , the Yaad-e-Jallian Museum was inaugurated showcasing an authentic account of the massacre. The massacre of April wasn't an isolated incident, rather an incident that happened with a multitude of factors working in the background.

To understand what transpired on April 13, , one must look at the events preceding it. The Rowlatt Act Black Act was passed on March 10, , authorizing the government to imprison or confine, without a trial, any person associated with seditious activities. This led to nationwide unrest. Gandhi initiated Satyagraha to protest against the Rowlatt Act.

On April 7, , Gandhi published an article called Satyagrahi, describing ways to oppose the Rowlatt Act. The British authorities discussed amongst themselves the actions to be taken against Gandhi and any other leaders who were participating in the Satyagraha. Orders were issued to prohibit Gandhi from entering Punjab and to arrest him if he disobeyed the orders. Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal, the two prominent leaders who were a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity, organised a peaceful protest against the Rowlatt Act in Amritsar.

The following extract from the Amrita Bazar Patrika, dated 19 th November, , talks about the witness account of Mr Irving in front of the Hunter Commission and highlights the mindset of the British authorities:.

He knew that such an act would lead to a popular outburst. He also knew that none of these popular leaders favoured violence. He invited the two gentlemen to his house on the morning of April 10 th and they unsuspectingly responded to the call no doubt relying on his honour as an Englishman.

But after they had been under his roof for half an hour as his guests, they were caught hold of, and removed towards Dharmasala under police escort! Mr Irving told this story without showing any sign of having done an act which very few Englishmen would care to do. People were not made aware of the Martian Law imposition that prohibited public gatherings.

As a result, thousands gathered to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi, which is marked on April 13 in the year The killings took place on the orders of colonel Reginald Dyer, the Acting Brigadier. Colonel Dyer ordered the firing without warning or asking the crowd to disperse. There were two armoured cars with machine guns that were used in the shooting, besides Gurkha and Baluchi soldiers using Scinde rifles.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, in which several hundreds of people were killed on this day in as a result of indiscriminate firing by the colonial forces, completed years on Tuesday. The Britishers had banned gatherings at the time and to punish civilians for their 'disobedience', Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered the army to fire into a crowd of thousands of unarmed Indians who had come together to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi, unaware of the order.

The colonial troops entered Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab's Amritsar and blocked the main entrance behind them to ensure nobody could flee before opening fire on the crowd for about 10 minutes. Many jumped into a well in a desperate attempt to save themselves as the soldiers showered bullets at them. While the official figure released by the British claimed that a little over people were killed in the massacre, the Congress party claimed that the number was as high as 1, The only punishment that Dyer, who was lauded for his actions by some in Britain but criticised by the others, had to face was being removed from his post and denied promotion.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, a leader of the Shiv Sena party in Maharashtra state, said that by trying to "beautify or modify" a place that evokes painful memories for many, the government was "doing great damage" to India's collective history. Indian nationalists protesting against heavy war taxes and the forced conscription of Indian soldiers had gathered at the site on the fateful day in Others were celebrating the city's Sikh Baisakhi festival and found themselves mixed up with the demonstrators.

British colonial authorities had earlier declared martial law in Amritsar and banned public meetings due to a rise in public demonstrations. Without warning, Gen Dyer blocked the exits and ordered his troops to fire on the crowd. They stopped firing 10 minutes later when their ammunition ran out. The death toll is disputed - an inquiry set up by the colonial authorities put the figure at but Indian sources put it nearer to 1, Image source, Getty Images. The Indian government has started a daily sound and light show at Jallianwala Bagh.