100 years for Jallianwala Bagh massacre: All you need to know

Jallianwala Bagh memorial

On this day in 1919, exactly 100 years ago, hundreds of unarmed and innocent Indians, including men, women, and children, were massacred to death by the British-Indian forces led by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer. Every year, April 13 is marked as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre anniversary and this year the massacre, which is one of the darkest chapters of India's freedom struggle to free the country from British occupation will mark its 100th anniversary.

The Martyrs well at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab.

History:

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre is also called as the Amritsar Massacre. On the fateful night of April 13, 1919, thousands of people including men, women, and children gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab to protest peacefully against the Rowlatt Act of the British government. This day also marks the beginning of New Year for the Sikhs and is celebrated as Baisakhi festival all over Punjab and India.

On the morning of the auspicious festival of Baisakhi, Brigadier General Reginald Dyer announced the implementation of a curfew throughout Amritsar and a ban on all processions that even prohibited a group of 4 or more people to meet in public. Around 2:40 PM, Brigadier General Dyer received information about a meeting at Jallianwala Bagh, which could result in riots and protests. General Dyer arrived at the Jallianwala Bagh with 90 soldiers at the entrance of the Bagh and ordered his troops to shoot at unarmed celebrators, including women and children, without giving any warning. The firing went on for about 10 minutes until Dyer and his troops' ammunition were exhausted. This horrific killing of peaceful protestors took place on the occasion of Punjabi New Year (Baisakhi) and came to be known as the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.

Jallianwala Bagh Memorial, (Bullet Marks Wall) in Amritsar Punjab, India

In the incident, 379 people were killed while 120 bodies were recovered from "The Martyrs' Well", as per inscription on it. But, the number of casualties estimated by the Indian National Congress was nearly 1,500 injured and around 1,000 dead.

Indian Punjab Police personnel light candles along with local residents as they pay tribute to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre martyrs on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Pic/AFP

Hundred years of Jallianwala Bagh massacre:

As people across the country pay homage to the martyrs of Jallianwala massacre, the United Kingdom is yet to give a full apology for the gruesome attack that took place in Amritsar back 1919. Recently, British Prime Minister Theresa while addressing the British Parliament said that United Kingdom "deeply regrets" the 1919 massacre and called it a "shameful scar" on the British-Indian history.

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