Remembering the Jallianwala Bagh martyrs
Updated On Apr 13, 2015 07:51 PM IST
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British-Indian troops led by General Reginald Dyer opened fire on a gathering of unarmed men, women and children at the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. (HT Photo)
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Updated on Apr 13, 2015 07:51 PM IST
On this day 96 years ago, one of the most horrific massacres of Indians was carried out by the soldiers of the British Raj. (HT Photo)
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More than 10,000 people had gathered at the Bagh that day –coincidentally, the day of Baisakhi, the main Sikh festival — to protest against the British rule and seek freedom from it. (HT Photo)
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Dyer positioned his men at the sole, narrow passageway of the Bagh and without issuing any warning to the gathering, ordered 50 soldiers to fire. The troops fired for 10 to 15 minutes till ammunitions were exhausted. As the terrified crowd tried to escape they fell to the 1,650 rounds of ammunition being fired. (HT Photo)
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On March 13, 1940, Dyer was assassinated at Caxton Hall in London by Udham Singh, an Indian freedom fighter who had witnessed the events in Amritsar and was himself wounded. (HT Photo)
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Dyer was removed from his command by the British government. He later argued that his action was necessary to produce a “moral and widespread effect”. Even more shocking was the fact that he admitted that the firing would have continued had more ammunition been available. (HT Photo)
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Dyer who appeared before the Hunter Comission, an inquiry committee, said he had indeed not issued a warning before the shooting and that he felt an obligation to continue firing till the crowd dispersed. Sameer Sehgal/HT
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The Hunter Commission did not impose any penal or disciplinary action on Dyer because of politico-legal limitations and several senior officials condoning his act. Sameer Sehgal/HT
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Another angle which Dyer insisted on during the interrogation was that he wanted to create an impression on “the rest of Punjab” and therefore the order to open fire. Sameer Sehgal/HT
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