Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
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Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
INTRODUCTION
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre marked a turning point in India’s struggle for Independence. A memorial was set up by the Government of India in 1951 at Jallianwala Bagh to commemorate the spirit of Indian revolutionaries and the people who lost their lives in the brutal massacre.
It stands as a symbol of struggle and sacrifice and continues to instil patriotism amongst the youth. In March 2019, the Yaad-e-Jallian Museum was inaugurated, showcasing an authentic account of the massacre.
Entrance of Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, India
POLITICAL BACKDROP
The massacre of April 1919 wasn’t an isolated incident; it was an incident that happened with a multitude of factors working in the background. To understand what transpired on 13 April 1919, one must examine the events leading up to it.
The Indian National Congress had assumed self-governance would be granted once WWI ended, but the Imperial bureaucracy had other plans.
A Newspaper Report of the debate in the Imperial Legislative Council on Rowlatt
WHAT LED TO THE JALLIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE
The Rowlatt Act (Black Act) was passed on 10 March 1919, authorising the government to imprison or confine, without a trial, any person associated with seditious activities. This led to nationwide unrest.
Gandhi initiated Satyagraha to protest against the Rowlatt Act.
On 7 April 1919, Gandhi published an article titled “Satyagrahi,” describing ways to oppose the Rowlatt Act.
The British authorities discussed among themselves the actions to be taken against Gandhi and any other leaders participating in the Satyagraha.
Orders were issued prohibiting Gandhi from entering Punjab and requiring his arrest if he disobeyed.
Sir Michael O’Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab (1912–1919), suggested that Gandhi be deported to Burma, but his fellow officials opposed the proposal, fearing it might incite public opinion.
Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal, two prominent leaders who symbolised Hindu-Muslim unity, organised a peaceful protest against the Rowlatt Act in Amritsar.
On 9 April 1919, Ram Naumi was being celebrated when O’ Dwyer issued orders to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Irving, to arrest Dr Satyapal and Dr Kitchlew.
Site Plan of Jallianawala Bagh
The following extract from the Amrita Bazar Patrika, dated 19 November 1919, discusses Mr Irving’s witness account before the Hunter Commission and highlights the mindset of the British authorities.
“The Government of Sir Michael O’Dwyer directed him (Irving) to deport Dr Kichlew and Satyapal. He knew that such an act would lead to a popular outburst. He also knew that none of these popular leaders favoured violence. He invited the two gentlemen to his house on the morning of 10 April, and they unsuspectingly responded to the call, no doubt relying on his honour as an Englishman. But after they had been under his roof for half an hour as his guests, they were caught hold of and removed towards Dharmasala under police escort! Mr Irving told this story without showing any sign of having done an act which very few Englishmen would care to do.”
On 10 April 1919, the infuriated protestors marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s residence to demand the release of their two leaders. Here they were fired upon without any provocation. Many people were wounded and killed.
The protestors retaliated with lathis and stones and attacked any European who came in their way.
One of the mishaps was the attack on Miss Sherwood, Superintendent of the Mission School in Amritsar. As per her testimony, on 10 April 1919, she was intercepted and beaten by a mob which screamed “Kill her, she is English” and “Victory to Gandhi, Victory to Kitchlew.” She was attacked until she fell unconscious. The mob went away, assuming she was dead. However, a counter-narrative is provided by the ‘Lokasangraha,’ a weekly published out of Bombay, which denies claims of severe harm, stating instead that the wounds inflicted were in fact minimal.
A Preserved Wall of Jallianwala Bagh
13 APRIL 1919 - JALLIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE
After the Rowlatt Act was passed, the Punjab Government set out to suppress all opposition.
On 13 April 1919, the public had gathered to celebrate Baisakhi. However, the British perspective, as reflected in the documents in the National Archives of India, indicates that it was a political gathering.
Despite General Dyer’s orders prohibiting unlawful assembly, people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, where two resolutions were to be discussed — one condemning the 10 April firing and the other requesting the authorities to release their leaders.
When the news reached him, Brigadier-General Dyer headed to the Bagh with his troops. He entered the Bagh, deployed his troops, and ordered them to open fire without giving any warning. People rushed to the exits, but Dyer ordered his soldiers to fire at them.
The firing continued for 10–15 minutes. 1650 rounds were fired. The firing ceased only after the ammunition had run out. The total estimated figure of the dead, as given by General Dyer and Mr Irving, was 291. However, other reports, including that of a committee headed by Madan Mohan Malviya, put the figure of dead at over 500.
POST JALLIANWALA BAGH
Two days after the massacre, Martial Law was clamped down on five districts – Lahore, Amritsar, Gujranwala, Gujarat, and Lyallpur.
The declaration of Martial Law empowered the Viceroy to direct the immediate trial by court-martial of any person involved in revolutionary activities.
As the news of the massacre spread across the nation, Tagore renounced his Knighthood.
Martial Law in Punjab
Brigadier-General Dyer
HUNTER COMMISSION
On 14 October 1919, the Disorders Inquiry Committee was formed to inquire about the massacre. It later became known as the Hunter Commission.
The Hunter Commission was directed to announce its verdict on the justifiability, or otherwise, of the steps taken by the government. All the British officials involved in the administration during the disturbances in Amritsar were interrogated, including General Dyer and Mr Irving.
Question – After the firing took place, did you take any measures to attend to the wounded?
Answer – No, certainly not. It was not my job. Hospitals were open, and they should have gone there.
General Dyer’s actions on the day of the massacre received a prompt acknowledgement from Sir Michael O’ Dwyer, who at once wired to him: “Your action correct. Lieutenant-Governor approves.”
Extract from the Independent, Allahabad, dated 21 November 1919
“I fired and fired well. No other consideration weighed with me,” said Dyer.
The evidence General Dyer presented before the Hunter Committee stood as a confession of the brutal act he committed.
The Committee indicated the massacre as one of the darkest episodes of the British Administration.
The Hunter Commission in 1920 censured Dyer for his actions. The Commander-in-Chief directed Brigadier-General Dyer to resign from his appointment as Brigade Commander. It informed him that he would receive no further employment in India, as mentioned in Montagu’s letter to His Excellency.
Martyr’s Well at present-day Jallianwala Bagh
Michael O’Dwyer
O’Dwyer’s Assassination
On 13 March 1940, at Caxton Hall in London, Udham Singh, an Indian freedom fighter, killed Michael O’Dwyer, who had approved Dyer’s action and was believed to have been the main planner.
Gandhi rejected Udham Singh’s action and called it an “act of insanity.” He also said, “We have no desire for revenge. We want to change the system which produced Dyer.”
It revealed a fatal flaw in the assumptions and attitudes of the latter. Eventually, it led to their departure from the land which they had hoped to rule for centuries.