On the fourth day of the Mayor of London's six day mission in India and Pakistan, Sadiq Khan visited the pious city of Amritsar, India.
Sadiq Khan visit the Golden Temple, the most important pilgrimage site of Sikhism, and met with volunteers who were preparing food for the local community. He also saw the Baba Deep Singh shrine and the Pool of Nectar.
The Mayor of London also made his way to the Jallianwala Bagh memorial garden where he paid his respects to those who were brutally killed at the site in 1919.
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre is considered to be one of the most tragic events in Indian history. On Sunday 13 April 1919, during the celebration of Vaisakhi, 50 British Indian Army soldiers, commanded by Brigadier- General Reginald Dyer, began shooting at an unarmed gathering of civilians, who were taking part in a peaceful protest. It is thought that 379 people were killed, but the figure is still disputed.
Almost 100 years since the atrocious event, it is said that the British Government has never extended a formal apology for the massacre, which killed hundreds of people and injured many more.
During his visit to the Jallianwala Bagh, Sadiq Khan extended his apologies and also made it clear that a formal Government apology should have been given decades ago. He also stated that ahead of the centenary of the massacre, it is more important now than ever that the Government properly acknowledges what happened at Jallianwala Bagh to ensure something like this can never happen again. He also met with ancestors of those who escaped the massacre and laid a wreath at the foot of the memorial to pay his respects.
The Mayor of London said, “The Jallianwala Bagh massacre is one of the most horrific events in Indian history. It is wrong that successive British governments have fallen short of delivering a formal apology to the families of those who were killed. I’m clear that the Government should now apologise, especially as we reach the centenary of the massacre. This is about properly acknowledging what happened here and giving the people of Amritsar and India the closure they need through a formal apology. During my visit to this amazing country and the Jallianwala Bagh memorial and gardens, I’ve heard how the scars of the massacre are still felt in Amritsar. Although our two great countries now have a close relationship in business, culture, education and more, an apology from the British Government will go a long way in healing the wounds left by this awful event.”
In 2010, the Former Prime Minister, David Cameron gave apologised in the Commons on the day of the “Bloody Sunday” report. He acknowledged that all those who died were unarmed when they were killed by British soldiers and that a British soldier had fired the first shot at civilians. He also said that this was not a premeditated action, though "there was no point in trying to soften or equivocate" as "what happened should never, ever have happened". Cameron then apologised on behalf of the British Government by saying he was "deeply sorry".
