Chandigarh, April 13: A poignant Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday mooted a memorial to honour all those Indians who had lost their lives in any part of the world in the battle for India’s independence.
Speaking at the Centenary Commemoration of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre by The Tribune group to pay tributes to the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and honour their descendants, the Chief Minister emotionally recalled his visit to the cellular jails in Andaman islands post the Tsunmai that left the region devastated. He had been ashamed at the fact that he did not know even a single name etched on the walls there, said the Chief Minister, adding that these martyrs had died unknown in the `kaala pani’, leaving behind no memories.
It was time to remember all such martyrs, said Captain Amarinder, urging The Tribune group to help out in tracing all such martyrs, so that India could remember and pay homage to those who gave their lives for the nation. The memorial could be developed in some central city of Punjab, he said.
CM URGES YOUNGSTERS TO DIG INTO HISTORY TO DISCOVER THE EVENTS THAT SHAPED THE NATION’S FUTURE
The Chief Minister exhorted the young generations of the country to dig deep into the country’s history to discover and remember the monumental sacrifice of all those who helped India gain freedom from the British tyranny. He underlined the importance of learning about history and the sacrifices of those who made it possible for the young generations to live in free India.
Citing references from various books on the subject, the Chief Minister, himself a military historian, said dabbling in history enables one to discover the true story, which in this case was a mix of the human, military and historical aspects of the gruesome event of April 13, 1919. New books on the subject and updated versions of the old ones helped to bring out new historical facts, which helped find answers to all those questions about the tragedy that continue to haunt the nation, he added.
The nation went through a very traumatic experience, which leaders like Mahatama Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru helped the nation survive, and it was important for us not to forget the same, said Captain Amarinder, urging youngsters, who were at the dawn of their life, to take inspiration from historical memories as they prepare to take on the reigns of the nation.
Captain Amarinder, who had arrived at the event directly from the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, spoke about his eerie experience that was clearly a case of the memories of the victims coming back to remind all Indians that their sacrifices should not be forgotten.
The Chief Minister said the Jallianwala Bagh barbarity was the culmination of the anger of Punjabis against the draconian Rowlett Act and General Dyer’s personal motivation, which he admitted later to the Hunter Commission probing the massacre, “to teach a lesson to the people of India.” To carry out his agenda, he drew fully trained and committed men from different regiments, who knew exactly what to do, said Captain Amarinder, questioning the low official figure of the deaths, given the size of the Bagh, the capability of the bullets used etc. Nobody even knew how many of the wounded had died, he pointed out.
On the occasion, Captain Amarinder Singh presented a memento to Sunil Kapoor, grandson of Wasoo Mal Kapoor, a victim of the barbaric tragedy.
Earlier, the Chief Minister joined his Haryana counterpart ML Khattar and others in a one-minute silence, as a befitting tribute to the immortals of Jallianwala Bagh.
Former J&K Governor and The Tribune Trust chairman NN Vohra, along with other Trustees, was among those present on the occasion. Luminaries from political, defence, judiciary, bureaucracy and other arenas also joined the somber event, at which State Minister for Education Suresh Bhardwaj represented Himachal Pradesh.
The Tribune Editor-in-Chief expressed himself to be honoured with the opportunity to be part of the event, which marked a very special day for the old province of Punjab that sacrificed about 1000 citizens to awaken the country from deep slumber to turn them from loyal citizens of a draconian regime to valiant soldiers. four descendants of the families
Speaking on the occasion, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that the dastardly event had sown the seeds of British exit from India. He complemented The Tribune for its role in scripting the national narrative during the Independence struggle.
In his vote of thanks, NN Vohra said the brutal massacre affected the course of Indian history thus changing the contours of India-British relations and paved the way for independence. The inspirational revolutionary atmosphere created by the brutality of the British Empire forced many youngsters like Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh to tread the path of struggle and ensure liberation from foreign rule. The event also reshaped Gandhi Ji who, after this brutal episode, decided to relaunch the freedom struggle movement which proved to be the first nail in the coffin of the British, he added. Vohra also lauded various publications for being fearless and upright during the tumultuous period of the independence struggle.
A book ‘Martyrdom to Freedom: 100 Years of Jallianwala Bagh’ was released at the event. The book, edited by The Tribune Editor-in-Chief Rajesh Ramachandran, draws on essays and archival material of the historic event available with the publication.
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