(Image source from: Ultimate sacrifice of unsung heroes)

Today, the 13th of April is to be remembered for the ultimate sacrifice of unknown people who has fought for the freedom of Hindustan. They were not having any ambition like of the present day politicians, who does anything only for publicity or to gain positions. The unsung heroes took bullets to their chest for us to live with full independence and proud to be a Hindustani. Today is the day in 1919, when thousands were massacred for protesting against the British government.

The 1919 Amritsar massacre, known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre happened in the Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, which was ordered by General R.E.H. Dyer. On Sunday, April 13, 1919, which happened to be 'Baisakhi', one of Punjab's largest religious festivals, fifty British Indian Army soldiers, commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, began shooting at an unarmed gathering of men, women and children without warning. Dyer marched his fifty riflemen to a raised bank and ordered them to kneel and fire. Dyer ordered soldiers to reload their rifles several times and they were ordered to shoot to kill. Official British Raj sources estimated the fatalities at 379 and 1,100 wounded. Civil Surgeon Dr Williams DeeMeddy indicated that there were 1,526 casualties. However, the casualty number quoted by the Indian National Congress was more than 1,500, with roughly 1,000 killed.

Apart from the many deaths directly from the shooting, a number of people died in stampedes at the narrow gates or by jumping into the solitary well on the compound to escape the shooting. Nearly 120 bodies were pulled out of the well.

Let us bow our head in respect to the martyrs who has laid their life for our freedom. Let us remember our leaders who have sacrificed their life for our freedom. Let us be proud of the unsung heroes who have braved the bullets in the Jallianwala Bagh for our freedom.

By Premji