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Part 2: The Amritsar Massacre

If you look closely, you can see bullet holes from the 1919 Massacre.

One of the reasons I came to Amritsar was to see Jillianwala Bagh, a place where a tragic massacre happened in 1919. If you’ve ever seen the movie “Gandhi”, the Amritsar Massacre of 1919 is portrayed quite well (for those of you who had me for 10th grade, you should remember the scene). If you haven’t watched this Oscar winning movie, put it on your Netflix queue or pick it up from the video store.

The Amritsar Massacre was a key event along the long and bumpy road of Indian independence from British colonial rule.

Background

During WWI (1914-1919), India was a valuable asset to the British and the Allies as they fought Germany and Austria (the Central Powers). India not only provided important natural resources, but thousands of Indians volunteered to serve in the British army in the hopes that their courage and loyalty may lead to independence after the war.

After the war, however, Britain not only denied independence, but passed the Rowlatt Act, which gave British authorities emergency powers to imprison Indians suspected of sedition (disloyalty) without a trial. In response, one-day strikes were organized, and sometimes escalated into rioting and looting. Three British bank managers were murdered in reprisal attacks following the killing of Indian protesters by the British.

General Dyer was called upon to return order to the city. On April 13th, 1919, 20,000 Indians were holding a peaceful demonstration in Jallianwala Bagh, an open space surrounded by high walls. Dyer arrived with 150 troops and without warning ordered his soldiers to open fire. It was like shooting humans in a barrel. Within six minutes, more than 400 people were dead and 1500 were wounded. Dyer sought to punish them for defying British restrictions on gatherings and hoped to intimidate the Indians into submission. (LP India)

The tragedy had the opposite effect. Some Indian nationalists gave up on non-violence and sought to fight the repressive empire. Gandhi, however, remained committed to non-violence and developed his program of civil disobedience, announcing that “cooperation in any shape or form with this satanic government is sinful”. (Lonely Planet India, p. 272)

My Experiences in Jillianwala Bagh

Prior to finding Jillianwala Bagh, I was expecting to see an open space that was treated like hollowed ground. I expected to see the scene as it was shown in the movie Gandhi.

Entering the park through a very narrow alley, just like General Dyers’ soldiers had in 1919, I felt like I was being transported back in history. When I came out of the alley, I was struck by a very different scene than I was expecting. The place had naturally been built into a memorial complex, complete with walkways, buildings, and a central memorial sculpture. A patio marked the area where General Dyers soldiers had knelt and gunned down hundreds of unarmed protesters. As I followed a walkway, I entered into the “Martyrs Gallery” where I read about a few of the people who had experienced that fateful day.

The most striking story was a first hand account from a woman who lost her husband that day. I’d never thought about the immediate aftermath of the shooting. In her account, she describes her desperate attempt to find someone to help her bring the body of her dead husband to her house. However, since it was after 8pm, no one was willing to risk going out after the curfew that had been set by the British for fear of being shot. After searching in vain for people to help her, she decided to stay with her husband’s body all night, fending off dogs and sitting among hundreds of dead or dying people, covered in blood. Throughout the night, wounded people begged her to bring water, even though there was none available. She stayed there all night, and at dawn, other people came to the park to sort through the bodies to see if their loved ones had been gunned down. It was a chilling first hand account that lent a human voice to the tragic situation.

After leaving Martyrs Gallery, I saw the well that people had jumped into in an attempt avoid the bullets raining down upon them.
    The memorial that was built over the well.

Looking down the well.

Lastly, I saw a remnant of a wall with bullet holes still marking the spot they had struck back in 1919.

It was a humbling experience. One that reminds us how many people have paid dearly for their efforts to be free. Indians, like Americans, had to fight for their independence, and they are very proud of their struggle and eventual success. This is one more example in a whole list of things that connect us with India. Think about this the next time you get an Indian voice coming from a call center when you are calling a 1 (800) number for help. Maybe you and the gentleman or lady on the other end of the line have a lot more in common than you realize.

Filed under: India, Travel