Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: A Defining Moment in India’s Freedom Struggle

1. Date and Location:
2. • Occurred on April 13, 1919, in Jallianwala Bagh, a public garden in Amritsar, Punjab.
2. Occasion and Gathering:
3. • A large, peaceful crowd gathered to celebrate Baisakhi, a significant agricultural festival and Sikh New Year, primarily in Punjab.
   • The crowd also protested the arrest of Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, prominent leaders opposing the Rowlatt Act.
3. Rowlatt Act Context:
4. • Enacted in March 1919 by the British government, officially called the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act.
   • Allowed indefinite detention without trial and restricted press freedom to curb anti-British activities.
   • Sparked widespread protests across India due to its draconian measures.
4. British Response:
5. • On April 10, 1919, the British arrested Satyapal and Kitchlew, escalating tensions in Amritsar.
   • By April 13, martial law was effectively in place, with public gatherings banned.
5. The Massacre:
6. • Colonel Reginald Dyer, a British officer, led 50 soldiers armed with .303 Lee Enfield rifles into Jallianwala Bagh around 5 PM.
   • Without warning, Dyer ordered indiscriminate firing on the unarmed crowd, including men, women, and children.
   • The firing lasted 10 minutes, with 1,650 rounds expended, as the crowd was trapped in the enclosed space with limited exits.
6. Casualties:
7. • Official British reports claimed 379 deaths and around 1,200 injuries.
   • Indian estimates suggest over 1,000 deaths, with some sources citing up to 1,650 fatalities.
7. Dyer’s Actions and Justification:
8. • Dyer ordered troops to block narrow lanes, ensuring no escape.
   • He later claimed the crowd was armed and posed a threat, a claim contradicted by evidence of unarmed civilians, including infants.
   • Defended his actions as necessary to suppress rebellion and instill fear.
8. Aftermath and Investigations:
9. • The Hunter Committee (Disorders Inquiry Committee), formed in October 1919, investigated the massacre.
   • Condemned Dyer’s actions as excessive but imposed no criminal punishment.
   • Dyer was removed from active duty, forced to resign as Brigade Commander, and barred from further employment in India.
   • The Indian National Congress appointed its own inquiry committee, led by figures like Mahatma Gandhi, which criticized British brutality.
9. Impact on Indian Nationalism:
10. • The massacre intensified anti-British sentiment, uniting Indians across communities.
    • Marked a shift toward mass nationalism, strengthening the Indian National Congress and leaders like Gandhi.
    • Led to the launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922) as a direct response to British oppression.
10. Udham Singh’s Retribution:
11. • Udham Singh, a 21-year-old survivor, escaped the massacre.
    • In 1940, he assassinated Michael O’Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who endorsed Dyer’s actions, in London.
    • Singh was executed but became a symbol of resistance.
11. British Reaction:
12. • Dyer was celebrated by some British imperialists, who raised funds for him in England.
    • The House of Lords passed a motion supporting Dyer, reflecting divided British opinion.
    • No official apology was issued until 2019, when Prime Minister Theresa May expressed regret without a formal apology.
12. Legacy:
13. • Jallianwala Bagh became a symbol of colonial injustice, with bullet-marked walls preserved as a memorial.
    • Inspired cultural works, including films like Kesari Chapter 2 (2025), depicting the legal battle led by C. Sankaran Nair against the British.
13. C. Sankaran Nair’s Role:
14. • Nair, a lawyer and former Indian National Congress President, resigned from the Viceroy’s Executive Council in protest.
    • Accused Michael O’Dwyer of responsibility in his book, leading to a defamation lawsuit in England.
    • Fought a historic legal battle to expose British atrocities, though he lost the case.
14. Cultural Relevance:
15. • The upcoming film Kesari Chapter 2, starring Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday, and R. Madhavan, focuses on Nair’s courtroom fight post-massacre.
    • Highlights the massacre’s enduring significance in India’s collective memory.

Key Terms:

• Jallianwala Bagh: Public garden in Amritsar where the 1919 massacre occurred.
• Rowlatt Act: 1919 British law allowing detention without trial, sparking protests.
• Reginald Dyer: British officer who ordered the Jallianwala Bagh firing.
• Michael O’Dwyer: Punjab’s Lieutenant Governor in 1919, blamed for supporting Dyer.
• Udham Singh: Survivor who assassinated O’Dwyer in 1940 as revenge.
• Hunter Committee: British inquiry that condemned Dyer’s actions without punishment.
• C. Sankaran Nair: Lawyer who legally challenged British authorities post-massacre.
• Baisakhi: Sikh festival during which the massacre took place.
• Non-Cooperation Movement: Gandhi-led movement (1920–1922) fueled by the massacre.

Link To The Original Article – https://indianexpress.com/article/upsc-current-affairs/upsc-essentials/knowledge-nugget-jallianwala-bagh-kesari-akshay-kumar-upsc-prelims-9940662/