India paid tributes to the victims of Jallianwala Bagh massacre. An event was held in Amritsar to observe the centenary of the massacre in which hundreds of innocent men, women and children were killed by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer, during a peaceful meeting at the park on 13th April 1919. It was declared a national memorial by an Act of Parliament titled Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951. President Ram Nath Kovind paid tribute to the martyrs. In a tweet, President Kovind said, “that 100 years ago on this day, the country’s beloved freedom fighters were martyred at Jallianwala Bagh”. He added India can never forget the horrific massacre, that left a stain on civilisation.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu arrived in Amritsar to pay homage to martyrs. He will also release a Commemorative Coin and Commemorative Postage Stamp. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu in an article has called the massacre as a major turning point in our struggle for independence and the most impactful since the first war of independence in 1857. He added that it shattered the faith that some people had in the British. Naidu says we will ever be indebted to those who gave up their lives this day 100 years ago so that we could breathe free. The best tribute we could pay them is to build a New India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to the martyrs of the tragedy. In a tweet, he wrote that the martyrs’ sacrifice will never be forgotten. He said, that memory inspires us to work even harder to build an India they would be proud of. Congress President Rahul Gandhi laid a wreath at Jallianwala Bagh memorial to commemorate 100 years of the massacre. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu were also present. British High Commissioner to India Sir Dominic Asquith also paid tribute at the memorial. He said it is one of the worst outrageous incidents.
