Speaking in the Parliament, Blackman highlighted the events of April 13, 1919, and said that thousands of innocent civilians were killed and injured in the shooting at Jallianwala Bagh
Conservative MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman, said that he demanded that the UK government tenders an apology to India on the anniversary of the grim Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. Speaking in the Parliament, Blackman highlighted the events of April 13, 1919, and said that thousands of innocent civilians were killed and injured in the shooting at Jallianwala Bagh. “Today, I raised the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. I asked the Govt to formally give an apology to the people of India ahead of the atrocities anniversary,” he said.
In a video attached to the post, Blackman was seen saying that on April 13, 1919, General Dyer ordered the British troops to fire at innocent civilians who were gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh peacefully. “Now, on the 13th of April, 1919, families gathered very peacefully in the Jallianwala Bagh to enjoy the sun, enjoy a day out with their families. General Dyer, on behalf of the British Army, marched his troops in and ordered his troops to fire on those innocent people until they ran out of ammunition. At the end of that massacre, 1,500 people were dead and 1,200 injured,” he said.
Blackman said that in 2019, then Prime Minister Theresa May recognised this massacre, but it did not elicit a statement from her. “Eventually, General Dyer was disgraced for that stain on the British Empire. In 2019, then Prime Minister, Theresa May, recognised this was a stain on British colonial rule in India. But could we have a statement in government time? The anniversary of this will be on the 13th of April this year, when we’re in recess. So could we have a statement from the government admitting to what went wrong and formally giving an apology to the people of India,” he said.
Another MP in the Parliament expressed gratitude to Blackman for raising the issue, referring to the massacre as one of the most notorious and shameful episodes in the history of British colonialism. “Can I thank him for raising this important matter of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which, as he says, is one of the most notorious and shameful episodes in the history of British colonialism, particularly in India. But I think probably wider than that,” she said.
She said that she will make sure that the foreign office ministers will bring a statement in advance of the anniversary. “I will absolutely make sure that the foreign office ministers have heard his question today and I will suggest that perhaps they bring forward a statement in advance of the anniversary,” she said.
The Jallianwala Bagh memorial in Punjab commemorates the 2,000 Indians who were killed or wounded, shot indiscriminately by the British under the command of Gen Michael O’ Dyer on April 13, 1919, while participating in a peaceful public meeting. This was one of the major incidents of India’s freedom struggle.
The story of this appalling massacre is told in the Martyr’s Gallery at the site. A section of wall with bullet marks still visible is preserved along with the memorial well, in which some people jumped to escape. “The impossible men of India shall rise and liberate their mother land”, declared Mahatma Gandhi after the Jallianwala massacre. “This disproportionate severity of punishment inflicted upon the unfortunate people and method of carrying it out is without parallel in the history of civilized government”, wrote Rabindranath Tagore, the noble laureate, while returning knighthood. (ANI)
