Amritsar, December 6: London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is currently on a visit to India, paid tributes to the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar on Wednesday and said it is time for the British government to apologise for the tragedy.
Khan wrote in the visitor’s book at the Jallianwala Bagh that the British government must apologise for the tragedy that took place at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919.
He wrote that it was incredibly moving for him to visit Jallianwala Bagh and one can never forgot the tragedy that took place here.
The mayor also visited the martyrs well at the historical site.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on April 13, 1919, when troops of the British-Indian Army under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer fired machine guns into a crowd of unarmed protesters, along with Baishakhi pilgrims, who had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh.
The British Government released figures stating 379 dead and 1,200 wounded. Other sources place the number of dead at the well were over 1,000.
Khan, later on Wednesday, visited the Golden Temple complex, where the holiest of Sikh shrines, Harmandir Sahib, is located and offered prayers.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) gave Khan a ‘siropa’ (robe of honour) during the visit.
Khan also visited the Langar hall, the largest community kitchen in the world, of the shrine complex and partook langar while sitting on the floor.
Earlier on Tuesday evening, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and others met Khan at a dinner hosted for him.
Khan, who was on a three-city tour of India, visiting Mumbai, New Delhi and Amritsar, later crossed over into Pakistan from the Attari-Wagah joint check post land border between India and Pakistan, about 30 km from here.
His visit was part of his first official tour to three Indian cities and three Pakistan cities, Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, to promote the British capital’s resilience and strengths post-Brexit.
The London Mayor, who is of Pakistani-origin, will also visit Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.
News source: http://www.tribuneindia.com
