Indian Govt still reluctant to grant status of freedom fighter to the martyrs of Jallianwalla Bagh

[karira]

As reported by Jagmohan Singh in punjabnewsline.com on 26 August 2008:
PunjabNewsline.com - Indian Govt still reluctant to grant status of freedom fighter to the martyrs of Jallianwalla Bagh

Indian Govt still reluctant to grant status of freedom fighter to the martyrs of Jallianwalla Bagh

AMRITSAR: The unhealed wounds of 1919 massacre of Jallainwala Bagh once again refreshed when it was learnt that Government of India has never granted the status of Freedom Fighter to the martyrs of who were killed during the massacre of 1919. Deputy Commissioner office also confirmed the facts.

The things does not ends here even the sitting deputy commissioner Amritsar Kahan Singh Pannu in letter to Punjab Government has also objected to not to give status of Freedom Fighter to the martyrs of Jallianwalla Bagh on the pretext that they were already highly compensated in the year of 1921.

According to the information availed through RTI from Deputy Commissioner Amritsar revealing that the list of nearly 487 martyrs were prepared and many of them remained unknown and unidentified as a reason the name of many martyrs were not included in the list. Deputy Commissioner in his report stated that after the massacre, a thorough report was prepared whereupon the names of nearly 487 people were included who were killed in the massacre.

The Deputy Commissioner through RTI report informed that after the massacre of 1919, the then Governor in a pursuance of resolution of Punjab Legislative Council has appointed a committee in June 15, 1921 wherein, C.I.E., Commissioner Lahore Division Langley Esq., was made president and Member Legislative Council Diwan Bahadur Raja Narendra Nath, Advocate High Court Maulvi Muharram Ali Chishti, Member Legislative Council and advocate High Court Chaudri Muhammad Amin,Advocate High Court Tek Chand were made members of the committee.

Thereafter committee headed by Langley Esq., given compensation to the kin of the martyrs according to the age and annual income of martyrs. Rs. 4000/- to Rs. 20,000/-. The detail of compensation was still available with the office of Deputy Commissioner Amritsar. However, sitting Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu has ironically in a letter on May 5, 2008 to Chief Secretary Punjab Government of Freedom Fighters Department has said if the Gold price of that period is compared with the current price, the compensation becomes Rs. 20 Lakhs to to Rs. 100 lakh were paid to the family of the martyrs as per the current value. In the light of such circumstances, would it be genuine to declare the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh as Freedom Fighter whereas, they were already paid huge compensation, Pannu told Punjab Government.

Pannu informed Punjab Government that during the freedom struggle the property of the freedom fighters were attached by the British Government and now to give status of freedom Fighters to martyrs depending upon the decision of Punjab Government and Union Government of India.

Interestingly, it was well known fact that massacre of Jallianwala Bagh played vital role in the freedom struggle of India. It also gave new dimension to the freedom struggle when on March13, 1940, an Indian revolutionary from Sunam in Punjab, named Udham Singh, who had witnessed the events in Amritsar and was himself wounded, shot dead Sir Michael O'Dwyer, believed to be the chief planner of the massacre (Dyer having died years earlier in 1927) at Caxton Hall in London.

The spot of Jallianwala Bagh was declared national monument but unfortunately the family of martyrs who were massacred in Jallianwala Bagh were never declared freedom fighter. This unfortunate bloody massacre occurred nearly nine decades ago and so far after the 61 years of independence Government could not announce them freedom fighter.

As stated in the Indian History the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, also known as the Amritsar Massacre, was named after the Jallianwala Bagh in the northern Indian city of Amritsar where, on April 13, 1919, British Indian Army soldiers under the command of Brigadier-General Reginal Dyer fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women and children.

The firing lasted about 10 minutes and 1650 rounds were fired, or 33 rounds per soldier. Official British Raj sources placed the fatalities at 379. According to private sources there were over 1000 deaths, with more than 2000 wounded.