Jallianwala Bagh

Why in news?

• Prime Minister virtually inaugurated the renovated Jallianwala Bagh complex in Amritsar on 28^th August 2021.

About Jallianwala Bagh:

• Jallianwala Bagh is a historic garden and memorial of national importance in Amritsar.
• It is a houses a museum, gallery and a number of memorial structures.
• It is preserved in the memory of those wounded and killed in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre that occurred on the site on the festival of Baisakhi, in 1919
• The  garden site of the massacre is located in the vicinity of the Golden Temple complex, the holiest shrine of Sikhism
• It is managed by the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust, which was established as per the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951

About Jallianwala Bagh Massacre:

• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, also called Massacre of Amritsar was an incident on April 13, 1919, in which British troops fired on a large crowd of unarmed Indians in an open space known as the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in Punjab.

Background of the incident:

• Gandhi called for a nationwide protest in February 1919 against the repressive Rowlatt Act
  • Rowlatt Act allowed certain political cases to be tried without juries and permitted internment of suspects without trial.
• But soon, having seen the constitutional protest fail, Gandhi organised a Satyagraha Sabha and roped in younger members of Home Rule Leagues and the Pan Islamists.
• The forms of protest finally chosen included observance of a nationwide hartal (strike) accompanied by fasting and prayer, and civil disobedience against specific laws, and courting arrest and imprisonment.
• In Punjab, the situation had become very explosive due to wartime repression, forced recruitments and ravages of disease, and the Army had to be called in
• On Baisakhi day, a large, crowd of people mostly from neighbouring villages, unaware of the prohibitory orders in the city, had gathered in this small park to protest against the arrest of their leaders, Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal.
• The Army under the orders of General Dyer surrounded the park, blocked the only exit point and opened fire on the unarmed crowd killing around thousand people.

Aftermath

• Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood in protest. Gandhi by atmosphere of violence and withdrew the movement on April 18, 1919.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Arrange the following historic events in chronological order:

1. Chauri Chaura incident

2. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

3. Gandhi-Irwin Pact

4. Bardoli satyagraha

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 2-1-4-3

(b) 1-2-4-3

(c) 4-3-2-1

(d) 3-4-1-2

Answer