Jallianwala Bagh Massacre 2024: A turning point in India's fight for freedom

A crowd at Jallianwala Bagh, late summer 1919. PIC Courtesy/The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library for Jallianwala Bagh: An Empire of Fear and The Making of The Amritsar Massacre (Penguin Random House)

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, one of the bloodiest events in India's war for independence, took place on April 13, 1919, in Amritsar, Punjab, during the British Raj. This tragedy had a lasting impact on the Indian Freedom Movement, galvanising the fight against British colonial control.

The massacre occurred at Jallianwala Bagh, a public garden in Amritsar, where thousands of people had come to peacefully protest the British government's repressive policies, especially the Rowlatt Act, which severely restricted civil liberties and freedom of expression. The mob, which included men, women, and children, had gathered to celebrate Baisakhi and express their dissatisfaction with British rule.

The peaceful protest turned into a bloodbath when Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer and his forces arrived and blocked the only exit to the garden, trapping the unarmed civilians within. Dyer ordered his forces to commence fire on the throng without warning or provocation, shooting at the hapless demonstrators mercilessly for about ten minutes.

Hundreds of innocent people were killed and thousands were maimed and traumatised. The severity of the attack shook India and the world, eliciting enormous indignation and condemnation of British rule.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre had a significant impact on the Indian Freedom Movement, igniting a wave of nationalist sentiment and increasing freedom fighters' desire to topple British colonial power. The slaughter acted as a rallying cry for India's independence movement, bringing together people from all walks of life to combat injustice.

Mahatma Gandhi, who was already a major figure in the Indian nationalist movement, strongly condemned the slaughter and advocated for nonviolent opposition to British authority. The incident spurred him to establish the Non-Cooperation Movement, which encouraged Indians to boycott British goods, institutions, and services as a show of protest.

The massacre also attracted international attention to India's plight under British rule, resulting in widespread condemnation of British imperialism and demands for Indian self-government. It served as a catalyst for the Indian nationalist movement, spurring a new generation of leaders and activists to join the fight for freedom.

In the years that followed the slaughter, the demand for self-government and independence became stronger, eventually leading to India's independence from British rule in 1947. The legacy of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre lives on in the collective consciousness of the Indian people as a symbol of sacrifice, perseverance, and the unwavering pursuit of freedom.