Amongst all
the events of our struggle for freedom, a particular event stands out for its
brutality and poignancy. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre!
The British Lieutenant Governor General
of Punjab, Michael O’Dwyer ordered to fire on unarmed people who had gathered
in thousands at the Jallianwala Bagh, in Amritsar, for a Baisakhi celebration
that had soon turned into an informal political meeting. It was 13th
April, 1919. A black day in History.
Brigadier General Reginald Dyer was
in charge of the operation.1650 bullets were reportedly fired in all, at the
gathering of about 20,000 people. The hapless people ran helter-skelter, trying
to save their precious lives. As the rounds found their marks, scores fell to
the ground, moaning and dying.
Several people ran towards a large
well on the ground and jumped into it, desperately trying to save themselves
from the vicious onslaught. They drowned and attained a watery grave. There was
speculation hitherto, on the exact number of those dead. A recent study by
renowned historian Kishwar Desai and her team; puts the estimate at around 547,
including 45 unidentified corpses.
Udham Singh, a strapping young lad,
who had experienced the massacre’s brutality first-hand, plotted for 21 long
years; to avenge the martyrs’ sacrifice. Then, on 13th March, 1940,
he boldly assassinated Lieutenant Governor General Michael O’Dwyer who was attending
a meeting in London.
He was tried and sentenced to death. On
31st July, 1940, he bravely went to the gallows with his patriotic
fervor intact. Some of his remains are preserved in an urn at the Jallianwalla
Bagh. His statue also occupies pride of place there.
It is the centenary of the massacre, today. I still vividly remember my visit to the Jallianwalla Bagh, with my
husband, in 2011. Even as we entered, a pall of gloom befell us. This was the
site where so many people had been massacred brutally, for no fault of theirs!
We were amazed at the vast,
well-manicured, lush green lawns, trees and shrubs that had transformed that
blood-soaked ground into a pleasant memorial. At the entrance itself, a small enclosure
stands, proudly bearing an eternally burning flame, an ode to the sacrifice! We
bowed our heads and silently prayed for the departed souls.
A tall pillar, elegantly designed,
stands as a proud tribute to the lost lives. Behind it is a portion of the
compound’s wall, still bearing evidence of the cold-blooded brutality, in the
form of gun-shot holes!
At the sunny, paved veranda, with
portraits of the revolutionaries and pictures of the event, I suddenly became
despondent. A nervous peep into the Well of Martyrs showed me the desperation
of those who had leaped to their death, to escape the carnage. The well was
empty and dry, but the anguished cries of the martyrs still rung loud and clear
in my ears and their visions swam in my mind’s eye. Overwhelmed by emotion, I
sat on a nearby ledge and sobbed. My palms were clammy. After a while I regained
composure.
With a heavy heart, I saw some
innocent kids, frolicking with laughter and gaiety, on the lawns, blissfully
ignorant about the place’s dark history. For them, it was a garden, a place of
cheer! Then I brightened up as a thought struck me. Freedom is precious and
precious lives of martyrs have been sacrificed to attain this freedom, so we
must value both! Long live the martyrs! Long live our democracy!
We must learn our
lessons from History and take care, not to repeat any blunders, lest History
repeats itself!
The copyright of this write-up is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.
