In this article, I want to talk about Jalian Wala Bagh, the event that fully changed the course of the Indian freedom struggle. An event that is so dramatic, that without it, maybe, people might not have even raised their voices. The event that shot about 1600 rounds of Enfield .303 bullets on innocent, unaware people unfairly. The Jalian Wala Bagh.

In 1919, it was clear that the British did not intend to come to trade in India but try to colonise India. There were small protests and outbreaks already going on in the country, but the British were easily controlling it. There wasn’t much use of force, as there were mainly political reasons.

It was the time of WW1, and the Indian subcontinent was providing utmost help to the British, with the already ongoing plotting of United States, Germany, etc… The princes of India were sending armed men, food, and supplies.

The munity planned in February month of year 1915 was thwarted by the British intelligence, and the remaining people from the Ghadarite movement and the key persons were arrested. The small munities within India were also crushed. Soon, to stop the worsening situation in India as the British was already loaded with troubles in WW1, they passed the bill: “Defence of India Act 1915” which restricts political and civil liberty of the natives of India. This act went on killing more people lead by General Dyer and the lieutenant governor of Punjab. And because of this, general Dyer and Michael O’Dwyer (Lieutenant governor of Punjab) earned infamy amongst Indian natives.

Dyer’s campaign identified 376 dead, 1200 injured. Dyer was hated by the Indian natives and by some in the British, but he was called a hero by many of them. But the House of Commons of the British parliament later criticized Dyer’s actions but could not be brought down in the name of murder, as he was just following orders from higher authorities.

The costs and expense of man and gunpowder were non-prevaricating high and couldn’t be ignored. So, the campaigns in India must be silenced. So, the Rowlatt act was proposed and passed in 1919, which is an extension of the Defence of India 1915 act. It limited civil liberty further. There was a lot of protest this act as it was enabling death sentence and imprisonment without trial.

In Punjab, mainly, due to the infamy of their lieutenant governor, the situation was worsening, with the disruption of telegram, rail, and communication systems. The people of Lahore were bound to revolt anytime, like a stick amidst a pool of fuel, just a slight application of heat will get the stick roaring with fire.

Then, there was a small and peaceful protest in front of the residence Miles Irving, the deputy commissioner of Amritsar. The crowd demanded Miles to free the recently arrested Indian freedom fighters. A military division shot at the crowd and killed several protesters. This spark was enough for the crowd to burn. A riot ensured where they committed arson to several British generals’ residences, injuring many British people and some females.

Amritsar was quiet for some days, but protests ensured in the other parts of Punjab. Communication was majorly stroked upon and cut. At Amritsar, in the Hindu collage, a meeting was held and in it was announced that the people will be protesting at Jalian Wala Bagh at 18:30 hours.

General Dyer was suspecting a major revolt and immediately cancelled all the meetings. Many people assembled at the Bagh to celebrate the Baisakhi festival and to peacefully protest against the arrest of independence leaders Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew.

General Dyer entered the garden with his unit and blocked all exits. He shot continuously directing fire at people trying to flee from the exits. He later in a report said that his unit fired 1600 rounds and about 200 to 300 people were killed.

Later, a curfew was infused and public processions and meetings with four or more people was banned. A meeting again in Bagh was reported by the local police and yet again, Dyer wanted to disrupt it.

Thousands of people gathered in the Bagh, or people were just going home, passing the Bagh after coming from the golden temple.

Dyer got an airplane to scout the area. The estimated number of the crowd was 6000 people.

Dyer then got 50 of his men, carefully picking the ones who are not of Sikh religion or just who was available. He also rallied up 2 armoured cars, and once again blocked all exits, the main entrance backed by the armoured cars. Dyer did not warn the crowd to disperse, just ordered his unit “FIRE!”.

Of all the rounds fired, 16890, many found its mark at the densest region of the crowd. Causalities were not only because of the shooting, but also a result of a stampede of people trying to get out of the narrow exits and people jumping into the martyrs’ well to avoid the shooting. There was a curfew called that night, so people who were wounded were unable to get out or get help and died overnight due to the pain.

Amongst the 379 dead, 337 were men and 42 were boys, one being only 6 weeks old. 192 people were wounded, 27 of them being severely wounded.

This action made the whole of India becoming very angry and starved only more for freedom. Without this incident, the course of the freedom struggle would be very different. But even after this incident, Britain has just expressed “‘regret’ for this ‘unfortunate’ happening which ‘wasn’t’ in their hands”.