Jallianwala Bagh: kin seek honour, Govt grapples with martyr numbers

While the Government documents dating back to the days of the Raj talk of 379 martyrs, the special committee set up by the Congress then, under the leadership of Madan Mohan Malviya, had confirmed 571 dead. The Amritsar Sewa Society had conducted its own inquiry and put the figure at 530. The martyrs’ families have another number: 464.

The display board at the park, for its part, says that over 2,000 men, women and children were either shot or jumped into a well inside the park to save their lives and ended up dead. But this board doesn’t name anyone.

There is also the general perception that thousands laid their lives down in what was one of the world’s as well as the Indian freedom struggle’s bloodiest massacres.

The martyr’s families insist their list is the real one. “It comprises those who fell to the bullets. No one can say with certainty how many died by jumping into the well,” says Bhushan Behal, president of the Shaheed Parivar Samiti.

Behal adds that they recently took a delegation to Home Minister Shivraj Patil to press for their demands, and that the latter agreed with both their list as well as the idea to put up names of the martyrs.

“However, the administration has not responded to our demand. If this anniversary (Baisakhi Day) the list is not displayed, we will launch a protest,” he said.

The Samiti has other demands as well. “Sadly, the martyrs are not even officially recognised as freedom fighters. We had put forth this demand too, but our file is gathering dust in the office of the Chief Secretary,” says Behal.

A high-powered committee, chaired by Joint Secretary, Government of India, R C Mishra and Kerala Governor and former MP R L Bhatia last week discussed the issue and asked Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu to do the needful.

Pannu said they were working on the matter. “It is true that more than one list of martyrs is available with us. We will soon settle which list is to be displayed. It is a very emotional matter,” he said.