Jallianwala Bagh: Renovation or Desensitisation?

The renovated form of the memorial park, that held within it, scenes of one of the bloodiest massacres in British history, was inaugurated by the prime minister virtually on 28th august. This place, which once served as a field of the carnage of thousands of Indians, now has a seemingly induced “happy feeling” to it, given the recent “modifications” by the government. This gives a rather unsettling feeling to the sensible. To have an opinion about the present scenario, one needs to be acquainted with the past.

Giving a tactile link to the past, historical monuments/sites are usually preserved to commemorate a particular person or event, further conveying the historical, political, cultural, and artistic information surrounding it. The great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, or the Colosseum Flavin Amphitheatre in Rome are some of the many ancient sites that have been preserved to an extent of an actuality being felt when one walks through its porticos and pathways. Likewise, India is also famous for its richness in cultural heritage sites, owing to the momentous events that have encompassed the subcontinent; from the first civilizations in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro and the magnificent edifices built by the Mughals, to sites symbolizing the two-hundred years-long freedom struggle from the British. One such site which serves as a sombre reminder of India’s grandiose, yet painful past is the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar which has recently outraged the public over its revamp.

The renovated form of the memorial park, that held within it, scenes of one of the bloodiest massacres in British history, was inaugurated by the prime minister virtually on 28th august. This place, which once served as a field of the carnage of thousands of Indians, now has a seemingly induced “happy feeling” to it, given the recent “modifications” by the government. This gives a rather unsettling feeling to the sensible. To have an opinion about the present scenario, one needs to be acquainted with the past.

The Rowlatt Act was passed in March 1919 by the imperial legislative council, which authorized the government to imprison or confine any person associated with seditious activities without trial, thus led to nationwide unrest, with general strikes throughout the country. Dr. Saifuddin Kichlew and Dr. Satya Pal were among the prominent leaders in this anti-government procession and were consequently arrested on April 9, 1919. In spite of general dyer’s orders of prohibiting “unlawful assembly”, a crowd of about 10,000 men, women, and children; a large, but peaceful crowd gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh, some to protest against the arrest of the pro-Indian independence leaders, while other celebrating the city’s Baisakhi festival, found themselves mixed up with the demonstrators. Upon hearing the news, General Dyer reached the Bagh and deployed his troops, ordering them to open fire without any warnings. With the exits being sealed off, the people were trapped. The troops stopped firing only after the ammunition had run out. Soon after, they withdrew from the place, leaving behind the wounded and the dead.

In 2019, the Centre allocated over INR 20 crores, commemorating the centenary of the massacre. The Ministry of Culture focused on carrying out restoration and conservation activities in the Bagh, and thus, the complex was shut down for the public from February 2019 till the inauguration date. The latest renovations, which include a 28 minute-long light and sound show, re-acting events of the day, and a garden with audio notes and illumination, amongst others have sparked criticism by historians, opposition parties, and the public, denouncing the government for destroying history in the name of renovation. “This is corporatization of monuments, where they end up as modern structures, losing the heritage value”, tweeted, historian S Irfan Habib, strongly criticizing the revamp. Adding to this list of criticisms, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Only a person who does not know the meaning of martyrdom can inflict such an insult on Jallianwala Bagh”, slamming the move as an “insult to martyrs”.

The walls of the narrow alley through which the British military entered the park served as a reminder of the horrors the victims must have faced. Never hampered with for over a century, the lanes now, have been ornamented with murals and sculptures, leaving no trace of what was, and instead “modifying” it into a “selfie spot”. From the infamous well which once witnessed the shrieks and screams of the people who jumped into it to escape the bullets, to every brick that permeated the horrors of the British through bullet holes in them, has been covered with transparent barriers, blocking the memories of the voices that once were. Over a century, after the incident, it was for the first time that section 144 was imposed in and around the Bagh; an attempt to silence expression, taking the country some 102 years back.

With the new, polished and glittered version of one of the most gruesome sites in India’s independence history, we witness the final mementoes of the past being effaced. The Bagh, that was to be remembered with pain and anguish, has been modified into a picnic type of a place, giving way to superficial tourist attraction. This desensitizing of the harrowing incident that occurred is disguised by the government’s flowering claim of “protecting history.”

The pyramid of Giza renovated into a “fancier” shape, or the colosseum Amphitheatre in Rome rebuilt into a complete structure is as irreverent as the recent renovation carried upon the Jallianwala Bagh. Cutting corners in preservation endeavours for the sake of monetization causes damage not only to the structure but also, to the history associated with it.

Maryam Hassan is a student pursuing English Literature from Jamia Millia Islamia.

Edited by: Diptarka Chatterjee