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British MP Bob Blackman on Thursday asked the UK government to apologize for the Jallianwala Bagh incident.
Opposition Conservative Party MP in Britain, Bob Blackman, has asked the UK government to formally apologize to the people of India for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh murder case. He said in Parliament on Thursday that the British government should apologize before 13 April.
The 106th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre will be celebrated next month. British MP Blackman has also shared a video of his speech on social media.
Blackman said in his speech-
On the day of Baisakhi, many people attended Jallianwala Bagh with their family peacefully. General Dyer sent his soldiers on behalf of the British Army and ordered bullets to the innocent people until their bullets are finished.
MP Blackman said- Jalliyavanala murder case is a blot on the British Empire. It killed 1500 people and 1200 injured. Eventually, General Dyer was maligned for this stain on the British Empire.
The British MP further said- So can we get just a statement from the government in which it was assumed whether it was wrong and whether it was formally apologized to the people of India?
No British PM apologized yet
Till date, no British PM has apologized for the Jallianwala Bagh murder case. Although many British leaders have expressed regret from time to time, but have not been officially sought.
In 2013, the then British PM David Cameron visited the Jallianwala Bagh memorial in 2013. He called the murder as a shameful incident but never apologized. After this, British PM Theresa May made a statement before the 100th anniversary from the murder on 10 April 2019.
Theresa May described the Jallianwala Bagh massacre as the most embarrassing spot in the British-Indian history. He also expressed regret but did not apologize. During the 1997 tour of India, British Queen Elizabeth described it as a sad case.
British PM David Cameron visited the Jallianwala Bagh memorial in 2013.
Sadly expresses why British leaders do not apologize
According to experts, if the British government officially apologized for the Jallianwala Bagh murder case, it can be caught in many legal and financial responsibilities. If apologizes, it can strengthen the demand for compensation from the victim families.
Britain wants to avoid such financial burden, as there are many incidents in colonial history for which they can become a vision of apologizing.
People came to Jallianwala Bagh to protest against the Rowlal Act
The British government had brought the Rowlal Act to India to crack down on revolutionary activities. It had provisions like taking into custody and hearing secretly without trial. There was anger among Indian people about this. People gathered in Jallianwala Bagh to protest against this.
Women, children and elders were also involved in this meeting. Brigadier General Raginald Dyer ordered his army to shoot without any warning. The army consisted of soldiers of Gorkha and Baloch Regiment, who were part of the British Indian Army.
According to the British government, 379 people were killed in this massacre. But it is said that the death toll was more than 1000. The way to leave Jalliawanla garden was the same. People could not run away due to the narrow path. Many people jumped into the well to save their lives, where their dead bodies were found later.
The purpose of doing so was to spread panic among the unarmed people so that the demand for independence could be suppressed. This massacre created a wave of resentment across India. Rabindranath Tagore renounced the title of his ‘Nighthood’, and Mahatma Gandhi started the Non -Cooperation Movement.
