On April 13, 2025, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid homage to the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

• He described the massacre as a dark chapter in India’s history and emphasized that their sacrifice marked a major turning point in India’s freedom struggle.

About the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

• On April 13, 1919, approximately 20,000 people had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar during the Baisakhi festival.
  • People gathered to protest against the Rowlatt Act and arrest of  Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal, two prominent leaders associated with the Punjabi satyagraha movement, were forcibly deported by the British authorities without any formal charges.
• General Dyer, a British commander stationed in Punjab, ordered 50 troops to fire indiscriminately on the civilians, including women and children.
  • He ordered open fire without any prior warning; 1,650 bullets were fired, and the shooting only ceased when the ammunition was exhausted.
• Human Toll: The massacre resulted in the death of at least 379 individuals and left over 1,500 people injured.
  • This brutal atrocity galvanized the nationalist movement and drew widespread international condemnation.

Background of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

• Approval of the Rowlatt Act: In late 1918, the Imperial Legislative Council approved the Rowlatt Act, sparking widespread anger across India.
• Launch of Satyagraha Movement: On February 24, 1919, Mahatma Gandhi led a satyagraha pledge in Ahmedabad, committing to the disobedience of selected laws until the Rowlatt Act was repealed.
• Nationwide Strike: A nationwide strike was called on April 6, 1919, which received massive support across the country.
• Surrender of Amritsar to Military Rule: Sir Michael O’Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, handed over control of Amritsar to the military under General Dyer.

Response to the Massacre

• Rabindranath Tagore’s Protest: He  renounced his knighthood in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s Response: In his article “Jallianwala Bagh” published in Young India on February 18, 1920, Mahatma Gandhi described the massacre as a “tragedy of first-class national importance.”
• He relinquished the title of ‘Kaiser-i-Hind,’ conferred upon him by the British government.
  • Following the massacre, Gandhi initiated the Non-Cooperation Movement to resist British rule.
• Jawaharlal Nehru’s Condemnation: Jawaharlal Nehru denounced the massacre as a “monstrous crime” against innocent civilians.
• Historian View: Historian Kim Wagner noted that the British perceived local unrest as rebellion, transforming nationalist agitation into major political crises.

British Suppression Following the Massacre

• Restriction on Gandhi’s Movement: The British government prevented Mahatma Gandhi from entering Punjab and redirected him to Bombay .

Formation of the Hunter Commission

• In 1919, Lord William Hunter, former Solicitor-General of Scotland, presided over the Hunter Commission to investigate the incident.
• The official name of the Hunter Committee of 1919 was the Disorders Inquiry Committee.
• The exchanges between General Dyer and the Hunter Commission were later documented in Nigel Collett’s 2006 book, The Butcher of Amritsar: General Reginald Dyer.

Significance of the event 

• Pivotal Moment in History: Historians regard the Jallianwala Bagh massacre as a critical turning point in the relationship between Indians and their British colonizers.
• The tragedy significantly accelerated India’s movement toward independence and intensified nationalist sentiments.
• Exposed Britishers: Globally, the massacre damaged Britain’s moral credibility as a “civilizing” power, drawing criticism in the British Parliament and press (e.g., Winston Churchill called it “monstrous”).
• Domestically, the lenient treatment of Dyer (relieved of duty but not prosecuted) and the Hunter Commission’s mild rebuke deepened Indian distrust, proving British justice was biased.

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