Beyond the shadow of a doubt many of you scrutinizing, might be presumptuous with Jallianwala Bagh massacre & General Dyer. For those who aren’t let me clear up. Reginald Dyer was interim Brigadier General of Amiritsar during the scandalous British regulation in India, who commanded firing on a peaceful knot, gathered in Jaleyan Walla Bagh in Punjab’s Amritsar, to celebrate Basakhi, Over and above that, to protest against the arrest and deportation of their two leaders Satyapal and Safiddun Kitchlew. The horde was peaceful, but faith had something else reserved . Dyer came and padlocked the only entry and exit of the Begh and directed his forces to open fire, the forces did as instructed, leaving at least 379 dead, 1200 wounded and others were left to die, making sure no aid is given to injured . When the Dyer spoke of the event he said “I have heard that between 200 and 300 of the crowd were killed. My party fired 1650 rounds “When the locals tried to rescue the injured they were stopped by the Dyer forces. So this is who Dyer was and what mass slaughter was all about. The Indian National congress gave it’s own estimate. Their estimate of wounded rested at more than 1500 injured, with approximately 1000 dead. As the news unfolded Dyer found both acknowledgement and criticism. Rudyard Kipling declared at the time that Dyer “Did his duty as he saw it”. Bizarre who has duty to kill innocents! He didn’t stop here he contributed to the Dyer fund. A far right English newspaper Morning post published an article under the tile “Man who saved India”. Saved India from whom? From it’s own people. Astonishingly and shockingly colonists of those days were talking about saving the country that was never there. The same news paper collected 26,000 pounds for the man who killed innocent people. Well the bizarre event undoubtedly took a hype and landed in both houses of England parliament, The House of Lords & The House of Commons. While the some Parliamentarians in House of Lords were reaping financial rewards from the east India Company set up on 13th December 1600 which become root cause of British colonization in India supported the ruthlessly action, while as House of Commons Censored the Dyer and made sure that he doesn’t escape the repentance. It was only after the committee of House of commons in July 1920 Dyer was properly censured. But the repentance was much less than what it should have been. Amusingly he was safe enough to be catogorised as Murder because of he being on duty as he surprisingly was “Acting on orders” . He was not even presented before military court where he was supposed to be submitted. What was done, he was just removed from his postion, called back, not given promotion and was never send back to India. A muder who’s known as “Butucher of Amritsar” got away with so little & had to pay nothing for what he did. Well this is just a single incident of violence that happened during Britsh times there are many more if spoken about will take a lot more. With the massacres, killings and arrests, The British exploited India through various aspects. The GDP that was contributing 23% to the world Economic was squeezed; the thumbs of artisans and craftsmen were chopped off so that the art of making the finest Garments isn’t continued. The British brought it’s own Garments to India and minted whole lot of money by selling it in India while knocking the garments production in India, back in Britsh the Garments shop owners and salesmen were seen passing on the Garment by terming it made in India. The significance of work of India cloth was that I could be passed through a ring very easily. India had the best ship making industries; the British couldn’t saw the competition and made sure that the industries are destroyed. The average ship made in India lasted for 26 years while as ship made in made in Britsh lasted for 6 years. A huge variation. Well nevertheless after suffering for 200 years of colonization and fighting against the British colonization by every single men & women keeping away caste, colour, creed, Gender and especially Religion India finally become Republic on 26th of January, which made it clear no British made chater is now applicable to India, And also made India “SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC ” The words “SECULAR & SOCIALIST ” were added during the emergency era. Well less do these flag wavers, calling Muslims forigeners, know that the first war against the British was fought by a Muslim Tipu sultan, when he finally was martyred in the fight against British, he had fought so bravely that Britishers in India were by themselves left with no option other than giving him “21 topu kie salami”. The Dalits who are every now and then ferociously beaten by elite class for being low caste, gave them constitution, which these part time flag wavers, who never played any role in freedom struggle keep bragging about . Sir Syed who gave up his job as a mark of protest against British and wrote a famous cuplet that became lines of resistance against British “Sare Jahan se accha, Hindositan hamra Ham bulbulen hain is ki, yih gulsitan hamara. But Unfortunately the recent developments in india has completely vanished this song and other slogans like Jai Hind and Bharta Mata kie ji and Ja shir ram being vigorously imposed. I recall an incident where an old indian Muslim man was circled by these flag wavers and were making him chant ja shir ram against his will. He was humiliated and was asked to chant louder.
The sarcasm is that those who made him do so were much young to him but unfortunately things have become this way and in present circumstances has no way out. To add to the worry such people have no fear of law as they themselves are the system . In an another incident where these so called “Dash bakths”, the cow vigilants , on apprehensions that a Muslim who works in army was carrying beef, these vigilantes broke open the door,got inside the home then broke down the fridge door took the plastic bag which had meat in it , dragged the man out who carried it home and lynched him, what police did instead of filing an FIR they send the bag of meat to laboratory to check whether it’s beef or not. Just some ordinaryactivities of New india. Such things happen when people find their roots to those who admire Vinayak Damodar Savarker commonly known as Veer Savarker who supported the British idea of two nation theory and these people have made Muslims of india alines in their own land who gave birth to Khan abdul Gaffar khan frontier ghandi who rejected Two nation theory. Sarcasm is Savarker was nominated for Bhart Ratna but due to hug criticisms the government, who has Savarker ,the person who praised the growth of Italy and Germany during Fascist and Nazi rule a role model, had to give up on the idea. And as many morning post like media outlets instead of questioning government questioned those who questioned role of Savarker in freedom of india. This same person was against the quit india movement. Ironically finds praises in today’s new India. As British gave up on India they left it shattered, everything destroyed and divided on several lines especially Religion and made sure it’s divided into two. With they leaving India it was divided in India and Pakistan while both the countries lacking behind in Economy, literacy rate, birth rate, nutrition index and etc . Well nonetheless India in those had people like Pandit Jawhar Lal Nehru and Sardar wala bhai patel both of the men gave their blood to get India together. Many of the princely states gave up their status of princely state and joined union of india. The joining of princely states came as they saw how cleanly they can be safe and preserve their culture. Well as the time kept moving governments kept changing and every government played roll in binding India together seeing everyone as Indians not Muslims, sikhs, Christians , jews, Dalits, and etc . But as the year of 2014 the government that got elected applied ” Divide and rule ” policy to rule. I have already mentioned how the Muslims are being alienated. To add to the alienation of Muslim laws like Beef ban, Anti love jihad bill, Triple talaq ans CAA have further divided India on religious lines. India for 66 republic days have made efforts to bind it together but unfortunately from 67th republic day to 74th upcoming republic day India is seeing every single day being divided within and that too by it’s own people. Six republic days have passed and not a single day in between haven’t gone without an effort to divide. The 7th such republic day is just ahead with India shattered and broken within. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christians and others divided, Economy at rock bottom, Health infrastructure on last legs, literacy rate immortalized, pregnant women lying on the hospital floor and malnutrition thrashing more than ever but the government is just putting efforts to segregate people so that none questions their dead duck. The independent media who have become peculiar spokespersons keep calling him “Man who rescued India ” have made things abomiable than ever before. India a multi religious, laungual , cultural and multiple castes land is being turned into a Hindu Rashtri . Where will Muslims of sir syed go, where will Dalits of Dr. Ambadkar go , predominantly where will Indians go.
(Author is a freelancer. Views are his own) [email protected]