UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM & ENERGY STUDIES

SCHOOL OF LAW
BA.LLB(HONS.)

SEMESTER 1

ACADEMIC YEAR:2019-20 SESSION:AUG-DEC,19

ASSIGNMENT

FOR

HISTORY

(CLNL 1031)

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF : Dr. Vinita singh Chetri

NAME: ANUBHAV SHUKLA

SAP NO : 500077309

ROLL NO: R4502191149

INTRODUCTION- It has been a century since,1650 bullets were fired on unarmed civilians at
Jallianwala bagh a bloody result of the imperial fear of natives. There are no photographs from
the massacre at jallianwala bagh in the north Indian city of Amritsar , not a single picture of a
shot-up corpse or of mangled bodies piled high.

The recenty passed Rowlatt act which gave enmaourous power to government and created a
feeling of teror in mind of public,Mahatma Gandhi wanted non violent civil disobedience against
the unjust law which start with a hartal on 6 April .

On 9 April two nationalist leaders- Saifuddin Kitchew and Dr. Satyapal were arrested by British
officials without any provocation.On 13 April the police in Amritsar fired upon a peaceful
pocessions . As martial law was imposed and general Dyer took comand .When the incident took
place ,hunderds were killed and injured .His object as he decide later , was to ‘produce a moral
effect’; to create a feeling of terror and awe in the minds of satyagrahis

INCIDENT IN BRIEF- When incident occur at that time situation is very critical in Punjab.
Disturbances from the people were going on but government method to check it was too
severe.Leaders are trying to keep the people peaceful,but the repressions taken by authoratives
had few parallel in history.There were many restrictions on the movement of people ,gatherings
and meetings are restricted. Proclamation was known only by few people however it was
announced widely but it is in english,so majority remain unknown of it. In order to protest aginst
the government order meeting was to be held in Jallianwala bagh .There were no measures taken
by General Dyer to prevent the meeting. As the meeting started Dyer reached with his men
loaded with arms .Without any warning, he orderd “Fire till the ammunation is exhausted”.The
garden is coverd by walls and buildings there was only one exit point ,as soon the firing started
the exit was jammed and the people had no chance to escape. Strength was approximately around
six to eight thousand.Around sixteen hundred rounds were fired by the soldiers on the unarmed
civilians.Garden has turned into the scene of merciless massacre . Figures tell that about 379
were killed 200 wounded, cruelty was measured as troops marched leaving the wonded people.
“Jallianwala bagh became a synomyn for massacre”
HUNTER COMMISION- On 14 Oct, it was declared by the government of India to make a
committee to inquire on jallianwala bagh massacre in the state of Punjab. This commision was
commonly called as Hunter commission as it is headed by Lord William Hunter .This was
establish to inquire on casses happened in Punjab, Bombay and Delhi. However, this commison
was not successful to implement any disciplinary action of Dyer as were disregarded by his
superiors. After a lot of efforts ,as he founded guilty and forced to retired from the army in the
month of july in 1920. Pt. Madan Mohan Malvia raised his voice in central legislative council
against the Dyer actions.He stated that aroumd 300-1000 people were killed by Dyer action.

NATION RESPONSE – An annual session was held by the indian national congress in the
month of december in 1919 at Amritsar and asked British government to take ‘take the early
steps to establish , a fully responsible government in India by the principle of self
determination’.People of sikh religion formed “The All India Sikh League” as their representive
body for the political actions.

.No this was not the ending of cruelty ,this was going all over the Punjab, people were orderd
to crawl on their hands and knees.Genral Dyer ordered in some areas that Indians were alight
from vehicles and do sallam when they passed any english officer. At some places people were
stripped naked and flogged at marriage parties .Students also suffered they were walked miles to
attend parades and forced ton salute the British flag ,water and electric supplies at many places
were cutted to Indian families. “Region of terror” was established under the adminstration of
General Dyer by his martial law in whole Punjab.Andrew friend of Gandhi ji wrote him to visit
Punjab ,he also wanted to come Punjab but his repeated request was not granted by the
government . In october he finally got the permission and went their . He was surprised as he
reached the station he found almost entire population was waiting for him.

Gamdhi ji’s report on incident shows that government were making efforts to sheilds certain
persons, he was shocked when he realised that government is sitting silently, he was very much
moved by the people sufferings in Punjab.He told the public to non-co-operate with the
government in every possible way, he asked people to not take any honour from the british
government and who already had it return it, he asked student to leave the educational
institutions. He wanted Indians not to serve the government in any form.The effect of gandhi ji
on Indians was steadily growing .At that time political situtaion in India became worse the
government became nervous,there was danger of violence inspite of hard attitude of government
due to all of this pressure government satrded aresting big leaders .Britishers were afraid to
lossen their grip over India. Gandhi ji in his letter to viceroy adress him about the non coperation
movement and he immediately returned his kaisee-i-hind medal,Rabidranath Tagore refused to
accept Knighthood he travelled with other leaders and adresssed huge meetings and teach people
about satyagragaha.At the end of this month non copertion resolution was passed and a special
congress session was to be held in Calcutta ,Gandhi preapred the draft of the non coperation
resolution he was not sure about how much support he will get at congress session .After that in
he called a triple boycott .He called and absolute boycott of the government and government
institutions-schools,colleges and courts were boycotted and the british power would collaspe at
once,such things make the governent panicky and government had to issue a warning.Gandhi ji
took this warning as victory of its campaign. After 21 years man named Udham Singh who was
one of thosands who suffered that incident and survived ,shot Genral Dyer to death in order to
take the revenge of mass man slaughter. On March 13,1940 he shot Dyer at a joint meeting
which took place in London at Caxton hall.After killing he did not flee from the spot. He told a
British official in his trial that he waited 21 years to took revenge. It was clear that the
brutalities had only added fuel to the fire and made the peoples determination stronger to fight
for their freedom and against the British rule.

BRITISH APOLOGY – For this inhuman activity which took lives of hunderds of
people,recently the country marked the 100 anniversary of this terrible tragedy .And yet no
apology had came.British leaders never oplenly apologised for the jallianwala incident .Queen
Elizabeth paid silent at jallianwala bagh, she remarked it as a “distressing example” of difficult
times ion our past, that’s it she not speaked any word ahead of it. Prime Minister David
Cameroon on his Indian tour remarked this incident as a “shamefull one” but after he cleared that
‘I don’t think the right thing is to go back into history and to seek out things we should apologize
for’. This topic has raised several times in the parliamentry debate for their vote bank. However
Theresa May spoke about in the House of Commons and said that she deeply regret what
happened and about the sufferings caused. Her words were pased in India and after a century it
look like a apalogy but seems to be too late. But we all know from insde what a change an
apolgy will make..will it make entire British empire on its knees.We know that its not only an
Indian issue but a issue for the entire world, for britisher they could become happy by apologise
and then throwing it to the dustbin of history but as an Indian it represent the pain suffered by
our people, the sacrifice they gave for our freedom.There is no apolopgy enough to transgrass
memory.It represent imperical cruelty and massacre across the ages.
 BIBILIOGRAPY

THE STORY OF GANDHI –RAJKUMARI SHANKER

NCERT TEXTBOOK

www.nytimes.com

www.toi.com