Jallianwala Bagh massacre: 13 April 1919

Jallianwala Bagh massacre: 13 April 1919:

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919, when Acting Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered troops of the British Indain Army  to fire their rifles into a crowd of unarmed Indian civilians in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab, killing at least 400 people including men and women. Over 1,000 people were injured.

On Sunday, 13 April 1919, Dyer, convinced a major insurrection could take place, banned all meetings. This notice was not widely disseminated, and many villagers gathered in the Bagh to celebrate the important Sikh festival of Baisakhi, and peacefully protest the arrest and deportation of two national leaders, Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew . Dyer and his troops entered the garden, blocking the main entrance behind them, took up position on a raised bank, and with no warning opened fire on the crowd for about ten minutes, directing their bullets largely towards the few open gates through which people were trying to flee, until the ammunition supply was almost exhausted. The following day Dyer stated in a report that "I hear that between 200 and 300 of the crowd were killed. My party fired 1,650 rounds".

The Hunter Commission report published the following year by the Government of India criticised both Dyer and the Government of the Punjab for failing to compile a casualty count, and quoted a figure offered by the Sewa Samati (a Social Services Society) of 379 identified dead, and approximately 11,000 wounded, of which 192 were seriously injured. The casualty number estimated by the Indian National Congree was more than 1,500 injured, with approximately 1,000 dead.

Dyer was initially lauded for his actions in Britain and became a hero among many who were directly benefiting from the  British Raj,  such as members of the House of Lords. He was, however, widely criticised in the House of Commons, whose July 1920 committee of investigation censured him. Because he was a soldier acting on orders, he could not be tried for murder. The military chose not to bring him before a court-martial, and he was only removed from his current appointment, turned down for a proposed promotion, and barred from further employment in India. Dyer retired from the army, and he returned to England, where he died unrepentant in 1927.

Responses polarized both the British and Indian people. Eminent author Rudyard Kipling declared at the time that Dyer "did his duty as he saw it". This incident shocked Rabindranath Tagore (the first Asian Noble laureate) to such extent that he renounced his knighthood and stated that "such mass murderers aren't worthy of giving any title to anyone".

The massacre caused a re-evaluation by the British Army of its military role against civilians to minimal force whenever possible, although later British actions during the Mau Mau insurgencies in Kenya have led historian Huw Bennett to note that the new policy was not always carried out. The army was retrained and developed less violent tactics for crowd control.

The level of casual brutality, and lack of accountability "stunned the entire nation", resulting in a "wrenching loss of faith" of the general Indian public in the intentions of the UK. The ineffective inquiry, together with the initial accolades for Dyer, fuelled great widespread anger against the British among the Indian populace, leading to the Non- cooperation Movement of 1920–22. Some historians consider the episode a decisive step towards the end of British rule in India.

Bullet Traces on wall

                                                                      Location : Amritsar, Punjab, British India.

Date : 13 April 1919; 100 years ago 05:37 p.m (IST)

Target : Crowd of nonviolent protesters, along with Baisakhi pilgrims, who had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar                                                         

The Martyrs' Well

Memorial

 Attack Type: Massacre

Weapons : Lee- Enfiled Rifles

 Deaths : 379- 1000

 Injured : 1500

Perpetrators : Riflemen of the Gurkha Rifles, the

54th Sikhs and the 59th Sind Rifles, British India

Army.

No. of Participants: 50

Demands for apology : 

There are long-standing demands in India that Britain should apologize for the massacre. Winston Churchill, on 8 July 1920, urged the House of Commons to punish Colonel Dyer. Churchill, who described the massacre as "monstrous", succeeded in persuading the House to forcibly retire Colonel Dyer, but would have preferred to have seen the colonel disciplined.

An apology was made at the time in a statement made by Sir William Vincent, the home member of the Viceroy's Council in a debate on the Punjab disturbances. This made clear the deep regret of the Government of India. It made clear that the actions taken were wrong and repudiated by the Government. It was called a noteworthy case of improper action; "over drastic and severe action, excessive use of force and acts ...... reasonably interpreted as designed to humiliate Indian people ...... cannot but be regarded as unpardonable (and) morally indefensible." In addition, the Indian Government reported in dispatches to the UK government that the actions of General Dyer were far beyond what was necessary. Also, General Dyer acted far beyond the principle of using reasonable and minimum force. Sir William Vincent stated that the actions of Dyer were of deep regret. A manual of instructions was created post the massacre to instruct officers in their use of force and this was to be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

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