106th Anniversary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

General Studies Paper-1

Context: Prime Minister Modi paid homage to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh.

What was the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, occurred on 13th April 1919 and marked one of the darkest chapters in India’s colonial history.
• To celebrate the Baisakhi festival and protest the arrest of prominent nationalist leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal under the Rowlatt Act, a large crowd of men, women, and children had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh.
• Colonel Reginald Dyer ordered British Indian Army troops to open fire on a peaceful gathering of thousands, without issuing any warning or order to disperse.
• According to official British records, at least 379 people were killed and many wounded.

The Rowlatt Act

• The Rowlatt Act, officially known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was passed on March 10, 1919.
• It gave the British government extraordinary powers to detain individuals suspected of sedition without trial.
• This act was based on the recommendations of the Sedition Committee chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt and was modelled on the wartime Defence of India Act of 1915.

British response to Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

• Martial Law: The shooting was followed by the proclamation of martial law in Punjab.
• The Hunter Commission, also called the Disorders Inquiry Committee, was set up by the British government in October 1919 to investigate the massacre.
• The Commission criticized Colonel Reginald Dyer for his actions at Jallianwala Bagh.
  • It censured Dyer but did not impose any significant penalties. It did, however, recommend his resignation from the military.

Nationalist Response

• Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate poet, renounced his knighthood in protest against the brutality of the British actions.
• Mahatma Gandhi, launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, urging Indians to boycott British goods and institutions.
  • He also gave up the title of Kaiser-i-Hind, bestowed by the British for his work during the Boer War.
• This movement marked a significant phase in India’s struggle for independence.

The Jallianwala Bagh Memorial

• Jallianwala Bagh is a memorial site maintained by the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust.
• The site includes several structures like a memorial flame, bullet-marked walls, and a well where many people had jumped to escape the bullets.
• The memorial also houses a museum and gallery that showcases the events of the massacre and the larger context of India’s fight for freedom.