Jallianwala Bagh

The story of Jallianwala Bagh, even after 104 years, stirred anger and sadness in our hearts. On our enlightening visit, we learned about the tragedy that took place in Jallianwala Bagh.

The tragedy took place on the day of Baisakhi when thousands of people had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh for a political meeting to protest against the controversial Rowlatt Act. Brigadier General Reginald E.H. Dyer and his troops opened fire in cold-blood at the unarmed crowd without any warning. They could not escape because the only entrance to the park was blocked by Dyer’s forces.

Many people jumped into the well inside the Bagh to save their lives. The firing lasted for 10 minutes, at the end of which, as per British official figures, 379 people had died and nearly 1200 were injured. These figures were never confirmed and the real death toll was believed to be much higher. The casualty estimation conducted by different sources later on, ranged from 500-1500 killed. There is a possibility that the actual number crossed 2000. Many of the people present in the Bagh that day were merely passing through the Bagh after attending the annual Baisakhi fair. Even the protest was a peaceful one. General Dyer was sent to restore order to Amritsar and to send a message to the rest of India as a lesson for their disobedience.

Due to this tragic incident, many protests and riots broke out, where Hindu, Muslim and Sikhs came together to right the wrong done to Punjab. Gandhiji also started the non-cooperation movement as a response to inhumane actions done by the British.

Many believe that this incident was a major turning point in the history of India’s freedom struggle. The barbaric incident resulted in nationwide protests, with all united as one.

Writen By Aanya, Angel, Anirudh, Chaitanyaa, Dhruvi, Gunishka, Radhya & Shankar (Springdales School, Pusa Road, New Delhi).

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