Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tribute to the victims of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, marking the solemn 105th anniversary of one of the darkest chapters in India’s colonial history. The Prime Minister remembered the innocent lives lost in the brutal attack and praised their courage and unyielding spirit, describing their sacrifice as a defining moment in India’s journey toward independence.
On April 13, 1919, thousands of men, women, and children had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, a public garden in Amritsar, Punjab, to peacefully protest against the draconian Rowlatt Acts imposed by the British colonial government. These laws effectively suspended civil liberties, allowing the government to arrest and detain individuals without trial. The peaceful assembly, which coincided with the festival of Baisakhi, quickly turned into a scene of horror when Brigadier General Reginald Dyer and his troops sealed off the exits and opened fire on the unarmed crowd without warning.
In a massacre that lasted about ten minutes, official British estimates recorded 379 dead and over 1,200 injured, though Indian sources have long claimed the numbers were significantly higher. The narrow exits of the walled garden made escape nearly impossible, trapping the panicked crowd under a relentless barrage of gunfire. The brutality of the massacre shocked the nation and the world, drawing widespread condemnation and igniting a new wave of resistance against British rule.
In a message shared on social media, Prime Minister Modi wrote, “We pay homage to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh. The coming generations will always remember their indomitable spirit.” He further described the massacre as “a dark chapter in our nation’s history” and emphasized that “their sacrifice became a major turning point in India’s freedom struggle.”
The incident deeply impacted many prominent Indian leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. Gandhi intensified the non-cooperation movement in response, and Tagore renounced his knighthood in protest. The massacre marked a shift in public opinion, transforming moderate political demands into a more widespread call for complete independence from British rule.
In recent years, the Jallianwala Bagh site has been preserved as a national memorial. It features a Martyrs’ Well into which many people jumped to escape bullets, as well as the bullet-scarred walls that serve as a grim reminder of the violence inflicted that day. The government has made efforts to restore and modernize the memorial, though some changes have sparked controversy over concerns about preserving its historical integrity.
As India continues to honor the legacy of the Jallianwala Bagh martyrs, their sacrifice remains etched in the nation’s collective memory—symbolizing not only the brutality of colonial rule but also the enduring strength and resilience of those who fought for freedom.
