Knowledge Nugget | With Akshay Kumar’s Kesari Chapter 2 set for release, a timely revisit to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre for UPSC exam

Why in the news?

Baisakhi, or Vaisakhi, also known as Sikh New Year, is a significant agricultural festival celebrated primarily in Punjab and among Sikh communities. In addition to being an agricultural festival, the Sikh community celebrates it as a religious observance, marking the foundation day of the Khalsa Panth.

But one of the darkest episodes of colonial history in India is also associated with the Baisakhi, which is the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the horrifying bloodbath that took place on April 13, 1919. Notably, Kesari Chapter 2, starring Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday, and R Madhavan, based on the legal battle that unfolded after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 1919, will be released in theatres later this month. In this context, let’s know about the massacre that garnered huge global attention and propelled the nationalist movement towards seeking independence.

Key Takeaways :

1. The incident dates back to April 1919, when the British were facing major protests in Punjab against the Rowlatt Act, that let them arrest people without any warrant or trial.

2. Sir Michel O’ Dwyer imposed martial rule in Lahore and Amritsar on April 11, but the order reached Amritsar only on April 14. Alongside, he also sent Col R E H Dyer, who was then holding the temporary rank of Brigadier General, from the Jalandhar cantonment to Amritsar.

3. On April 13, Col Dyer’s troops marched through the town to warn against the assembly of more than four people. But the announcement did not reach most people, and devotees started making a beeline to the Golden Temple to celebrate Baisakhi.

4. On the same day, a large peaceful crowd had also gathered to protest against the arrest of Dr Satyapal and Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew for opposing the Rowlatt Act in a compound called Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.

People view the bullet holes in the wall, marked with white paint, at Jallianwala Bagh. (Express Photo: Rana Simranjit Singh)

5. Upon hearing about the large gathering, Col Dyer marched into the Bagh with a column of 50 soldiers armed with .303, Lee Enfield and bolt action rifles around 5 pm. It’s said he ordered troops to surround the compound, situated between houses and narrow lanes and launched indiscriminate firing on the assembled men, women and children who lacked the means to escape. While the British official report stated that 379 people were killed in the incident, some estimates put the death toll in the thousands.

6. Among those who managed to escape was Udham Singh, then 21. He vowed to avenge the massacre, and shot dead Sir Michael O’ Dwyer at Caxton Hall in London in 1942.

7. The massacre stunned the country. Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore returned his knighthood, describing the incident as “without parallel in the history of civilised governments”. Mahatma Gandhi started his non-cooperation movement soon afterwards. Then British parliamentarian Winston Churchill described the massacre as “a monstrous event, an event which stands in singular and sinister isolation”.

What happened to Dyer after Jallianwala Bagh?

1. On October 14, 1919, the Disorders Inquiry Committee was formed to inquire about the massacre. It later came to be known as the Hunter Commission.

2. The Hunter Commission was directed to announce its verdict on the justifiability, or otherwise, of the steps taken by the government. All the British officials involved in the administration during the disturbances in Amritsar were interrogated, including General Dyer and Mr. Irving.

3. The Committee condemned the incident but did not impose any punishment on Dyer. Ultimately, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army directed Brig Gen Dyer to resign his appointment as Brigade Commander and informed him that he will receive no further employment in India.

4. However, Dyer remained a divisive figure at the time. Imperialists at home lauded Dyer for his actions against what they termed as unrest in India. Conservative newspapers and organisations in the UK later arranged for a fund for Dyer and collected a significant amount.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Rowlatt Act, 1919

1. In response to increasing anti-British conspiracies, the British government enacted the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, commonly referred to as the Rowlatt Act.

2. Passed on the recommendations of Sedition Committee chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt, this act aimed to suppress civil unrest and exert greater control over the Indians.

3. The law granted the British government the authority to arrest and detain any Indian citizen without trial for up to two years based solely on suspicions of terrorism. The introduction of this law faced widespread opposition throughout India. Gandhi had protested against this oppressive Act by calling people to launch a satyagraha against it.

Post Read Questions

(1) Consider the following event:

1. Formation of Hunter Committee

2. Jallianwala Bagh massacre

3. Rowlatt Act

What is the correct chronological order of these events?

(a) 1—2—3

(b) 2—1—3

(c) 3—2—1

(d) 2—3—1

(2) With reference to Jallianwala Bagh massacre, consider the following statements:

1. The Report of Disorders Inquiry Committee condemned the incident but did not impose any punishment on General Dyer.

2. Wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill went on to describe the day as “monstrous” and an inquiry was set up to probe General Dyer’s orders.

Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

(3) With reference to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, consider the following statements:

1. There was a public meeting against the arrest of Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew for opposing the Rowlatt Act at Jallianwala Bagh.

2. Saddler Commission was set up to inquire into the matter.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

(Sources: Jallianwala Bagh massacre: What happened to General Dyer after he ordered firing on Indians?,  Explained: The story of Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, who took on the British in their own courts)

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