JALLIAN WALA MEMORIAL
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"Terrible has been the slaughter,
Loud have been the cries of innocent sufferers.
Did not these awaken pity in thee, o Lord ?
If a strong power attacks another strong power,
No one would grieve,none would complain.
But when fierce tiger preys on helpless cattle,
Thou herdsman must answer for it." |
 April 13,the day of Baisakhi festival, the day of celebrations marking the beginning of harvest, the birthday of Khalsa in 1699 founded by Guru Gobind Singh, was destined to be another historic day in 1919. The memorial at this site commemorates the 2000 Indians who were killed or wounded, shot indiscriminately by the British under the command of Gen Michael O"Dyer on April13, 1919 while participating in a peaceful public meeting. This was one of the major incidents of India's freedom struggle.
The story of this appaling massacre is told in the Martyr's Gallery at the site. A section of wall with bullet marks still visible is preserved along with the memorial well, in which some people jumped to escape. "The impossible men of India shall rise and liberate their mother land", declared Mahatma Gandhi, after the Jallian Wala massacre. "This disproportionate severity of punishment inflicted upon the unfortunate people and method of carrying it out is without parallel in the history of civilized govt." wrote Rabindra Nath Tagore the noble laureate while returning knighthood.
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