'Jallianwala Bagh Smarak to serve as reminder of peaceful protest,' says Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder SIngh on Saturday said that Jallianwala Bagh Smarak must serve as a reminder for the future generations about the right of the people to peaceful democratic protests. Earlier, during the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had virtually inaugurated the renovated complex of the Jallianwala Bagh Smarak.

Punjab CM on Jallianwala Bagh Smarak

In an oblique reference to the ongoing agitation of peacefully protesting farmers, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh in an official statement said that the Smarak, along with the Jallianwala Bagh centenary memorial recently dedicated to the people by the state government, should serve to remind our leaders of the inalienable right of Indians to conduct peaceful democratic protests, which could not be stifled, as the British also learnt from the Jallianwala Bagh incident.

The Punjab Chief Minister in his brief remarks before PM Modi said that the Smarak and the Centenary Memorial established by the state government "seek to pay tribute to the great martyrs so that history may always remember their sacrifice and our present and future generations can draw inspiration from their patriotism."

Amarinder Singh also requested the Prime Minister that the central government should use its good offices to bring back the personal effects, i.e. pistol and personal diary of Shaheed Udham Singh Ji, who avenged the injustice of this massacre, from the United Kingdom to India. He also said that he had already written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in this regard.

As the Jallianwala Bagh massacre marked 102 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dedicated a renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak to the nation through video conferencing. Besides this, the Prime Minister also inaugurated museum galleries developed at the Smarak. This virtual event was also attended by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. 

Jallianwala Bagh massacre

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on April 13, 1919. A large but peaceful crowd had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab, to protest against the arrest of pro-Indian Independence leaders Dr Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr Satya Pal. 

Hundreds of people were killed by British troops on this day in 1919 as they fired indiscriminately on an unarmed gathering of thousands who had assembled at Jallianwala Bagh amid nationwide protests against the Rowlatt Act which had extended wartime repressive measures. According to British government records, 379 people including men, women, and children were killed while 1,200 were wounded in the firing. Other sources place the number of dead at well over 1,000.

Image Credit: @DRRUTVIJ/@CAPT_AMARINDER-TWITTER