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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh memorial on August 28 via video conference.
The Prime Minister”s Office said Modi will also inaugurate museum galleries developed at the memorial in Amritsar. The event will showcase multiple development initiatives taken by the government to upgrade the complex, it added.
The PMO noted that four museum galleries have been created through adaptive reuse of redundant and underutilised buildings. The galleries showcase the historical value of events that unfolded in Punjab during that period, with the fusion of audio-visual technology, including projection mapping and 3D representation, as well as art and sculptural installations.
“Multiple development initiatives have been undertaken at the complex. Elaborate heritage restoration works have been carried out in sync with the local architectural style of Punjab. The Shaheedi well has been repaired and restored with a redefined super structure. The heart of the Bagh, the flame monument, has been repaired and restored, water body rejuvenated as a lily pond, and the pathways made broader for better navigability,” it said.
Several new and modern amenities have been added, including redefined paths of movement with appropriate signages, illumination of strategic spots, landscaping and hardscaping with native plantation, and installation of audio nodes throughout the garden. Also, newer areas have been developed for housing the Salvation Ground, Amar Jyoti and Flag Mast, it added.
The PMO said Union Minister of Culture, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministers of State for Culture, Governors and chief ministers of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab, and members of Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust among others will be present on the occasion.
What was Jallianwala Bagh massacre ?
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919. A large but peaceful crowd had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab to protest against the arrest of pro-Indian independence leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satya Pal. In response to the public gathering, the British Brigadier-General R. E. H. Dyer surrounded the Bagh with his soldiers. The Jallianwala Bagh could only be exited on one side, as its other three sides were enclosed by buildings. After blocking the exit with his troops, he ordered them to shoot at the crowd, continuing to fire even as protestors tried to flee. The troops kept on firing until their ammunition was exhausted. At least 1000 people were killed and over 1,200 other people were injured of whom 192 were seriously injured.
