101 years of Jallanwala Bag massacre 1919 rememberances

                            101 years of Jallanwala Bag massacre 1919 rememberances     

 Today is the 101  Shaheedi  Divas  ( Martyr Anniversary ) of massacre of innocent people in Jallanwala Bag Amritsar. I bow my head to all those innocent killed by a mindless British Brigadier Reginald Edward Harry Dyer. 

 I was reading  the story of that fateful day the 13^th April 1919 where in as per many reports those who were killed were not less than 1500 persons( Swami Shardanand).  Dyer reported   the deaths were between  200-300. Another report from J.B Thamshat estimated death after house to house survey  not more than 291. But Pt. MM. Malviya congress leader( Council member 1911-1919   reported in the Imperial Legislative council  meeting on 12  September 1919, deaths in this  tragedy as 1000 which included 42  children youngest among them being 7 months old. The Imperial Legislative Council was a legislature for British India from 1861 to 1947. It succeeded the Council of the Governor-General of India, and was succeeded by the Constituent Assembly of India and after 1950, was succeeded by Parliament of India.

 Generally the story of the tragedy reveals  that 15000 to 20000 people had geather to protest against  Rowlatt Act or Black Act, which  was a legislative council act passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in Delhi on 21 March 1919.  As per this ruthless  Act, it  indefinitely extending the emergency measures of preventive indefinite detention, incarceration without trial and judicial review enacted to control  perceived threat from revolutionary nationalists organizations. This act was opposed by Indian National Congress  under its leader  M.K. Gandhi, later Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1914.

 During my reading I came across a  Jallanwala Bagh tragedy story  by  Sardar Gurnam Singh Mukatsar  written in his Punjabi book “ Jhoot Na Bol  Pande”2005 on page number 283. Here Sardar Gurnam Singh writes he is in search of   the fact when  some Dalit Army sepoys  brought a Deg (big Cooking Utensil ) full of Karah Prasad ( Sweet dish made from wheet flour,Desi Ghee, Sugar and dry fruits) to offer in the Darbar Sahib Gurudwara Amritsar. This offer of cooked food from Dalits was  not accepted say as it was from Sudras by  Gurudwara Sewadars converttee  from  high Hindu Castes, one among them was Jathedar Bhai  Aroor Singh .It hurt the sentiments of Dalit Community as a whole. So the Dalits decided to gather in large number in Jallanwala Bag to protest the act of refusal of their Deg by   Sikh Gurudwara management including Bhai  Aroor Singh Jathedar. The news of Dalit proposed gathering on 13 April ( Baisakh Day) 1919  in Jallanwala Bagh. It was heard also by Bhai Aroor Singh, who informed Brigadier Dyer in his own way saying the gathering may  inflict  big damage to men and property in the area since they were gathering to protest against Rowlatt Act.  Brigadier Dyer reached there on the proposed day with heavy armed enforcement. Jathedar Aroor Singh might have even given the names of Dalit sepoys, whose Deg was refused. On the fateful day Dyer opened fire and killed many.

 Dyer was subsequently given  “Saroopa” ( An Honour) by  by Aroor Singh in presence of Sangat .Why this  holi saroopa  was presented to the killer among whom were large number of Sikhs  gives teeth to story. Further the writer quotes a speech in India Parliament on 26 August 1997 at 6.10 pm by Major Singh Obekey was relating such like story. This speech  was heard on radio as it was relayed direct, one among listener was the writer also.

  Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Udham Singh ,  an eye witness of this massacre saw it from a tree top, where he had climbed to listen the leaders. Udham Singh a Kamboj lineage in  Chamars, an important  shudra  caste  (now Scheduled Caste) was then about about 24years and was working in  near by to Jallanwala Bag carpenter shop . After seeing this most inhuman act of British officer he vowed to kill Dyer  where ever Dyer may hide him. Sinse Brigadier Dyer after rirement when went back to UK,he died of a natural  from paralysis. During those days  Michael O'Dwyer was Punjab Governor.  Sardar udham Singh killed Michael O'Dwyer on 13 March 1940, almost 21 years after the Jallianwala Bagh killings in Caxton Hall London. For this act Sardar Udham Singh was sentenced  for life and hanged in  On 31 July 1940, Udham Singh was hanged at Pentonville Prison situated in Barnsbury area of the London Borough of Islington, north London.  Ref . Savtantantra Sangram Ke Mahabalidani Udham Singh

 (  Ref;_By Dr.Rajpal Singh Raj Rajlaxmi Prakashan Brahmpuri Delhi-53

www.serchsikhism.com,and   Wikipedia)

Many(185) of those killed in Jallanwala Bag tragedy  were Dalits and some of their names and description is given by D.C. Deenkar in his Book “ Sawtantarita  Sangram Main Ashuton Ka yogdan0” Goutam ook Center  Delhi( ISBN :81-87733-72-1). This detail is produced as under.

1.         Amar Shaheed Nath Dhobi of Amritsar birth 1864

2.         Amar Shaheed Dhulia Dhobi of Amritsar ,born 1866.

3.         Amar Saheed Mangal Mochi residen of Gobindgarh Amritsar

4.        Amar Saheed Budha was Chuhra,sweeper by caste and resident of  Putlighar Amritsar.           By Er.H.R.Phonsa

   Dated 13-04-2020