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Jallianwala Bagh Massacre’s 101st Year: Here Are Some Facts About The Incident

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, a brutal incident that took place during the Freedom Struggle of India against the British Raj. It is also known as the Massacre of Amritsar that took place on 13 April 1919 in which British officials fired on unarmed Indians in an open space. The massacre took place on the order of General Brigadier Reginald Dyer. Today marks the 101 years of the incident. Therefore, we are with some of the facts about the massacre that you need to know.

Also read: Baisakhi 2020: Know About The History, Rituals And Significance

1. The incident took place in an open space named Jallianwala Bagh. It was more like a park with only one narrow entrance and deep well inside.

2. Thousands of people comprising of men, youths, women, children and elderly people attended a public meeting on the occasion of Baisakhi. Little did they know that according to the newly imposed Martial Law, people were not allowed to attend public meetings. The law was imposed on 12 April 1919 and people weren't made aware of this newly imposed law.

3. The law came into effect after a local angry mob attacked one of the British Missionaries on 10 April 1919 in a protest against the arrest of two freedom fighters. They set some buildings on fire and also looted some of them. General R. Dyer was furious after this protest and therefore, he imposed the Martian Law to stop people from taking part in gatherings and meetings.

4. People had come to the Bagh for celebrating Baisakhi, one of the most important festivals of Sikhs. They were not at all involved in any kind of protest.

5. When General R. Dyer came to know about the mass gathering of people in the Jallianwala Bagh, he ordered his troops to go inside the park and seal the only entrance so that no one could exit.

6. General Dyer gave the orders to fire at people without giving them even a single warning.

7. Since the park had only one entrance which was blocked by the troops, people jumped into the well to save themselves from the bullets being fired continuously. However, those who jumped into the well lost their lives by drowning themselves into the water.

8. It is said that there were more than 1000 people inside the park and many of them were severely injured while others, including women and children, lost their lives.

9. The troops soon left the place leaving the dead and the wounded on their own.

10. Even today the walls of Jallianwala Bagh stand as the eye witness of the brutal incident with many bullets marks on them. However, the place now has a National Monument that symbolises the death of several innocents.

Story first published: Monday, April 13, 2020, 13:46 [IST]