#jallianwalabagh : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Pays Rich Tribute To Martyrs, Says Will Never Forget Their Courage, Sacrifice

File Picture

Prime Minister Narendra Modi  remembered  the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, saying their valour will inspire Indians for years to come.

“I bow to those martyrs who were killed mercilessly in Jallianwala Bagh on this day. We will never forget their courage and sacrifice,” he wrote on Twitter.

Their valour will inspire Indians for the years to come, the prime minister said.

British Indian troops on the orders of Brigadier Gen Reginald Dyer had opened fire on a large group of people who had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar to celebrate Baisakhi, the harvest festival. At least 400 people were killed and a thousand were injured.

What is Jallianwala Bagh massacre ?

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919, when Acting Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered troops of the British Indian Army to fire their rifles into a crowd of unarmed Indian civilians in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab, killing at least 400 people including men and women. Over 1,000 people were injured.

On Sunday, 13 April 1919, Dyer, convinced a major insurrection could take place, banned all meetings. This notice was not widely disseminated, and many villagers gathered in the Bagh to celebrate the important Sikh festival of Baisakhi, and peacefully protest the arrest and deportation of two national leaders, Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew. Dyer and his troops entered the garden, blocking the main entrance behind them, took up position on a raised bank, and with no warning opened fire on the crowd for about ten minutes, directing their bullets largely towards the few open gates through which people were trying to flee, until the ammunition supply was almost exhausted. The following day Dyer stated in a report that “I hear that between 200 and 300 of the crowd were killed. My party fired 1,650 rounds”.