The Indians were 'packed together so that one bullet would drive through three or four bodies', the people 'ran madly this way and the other'. When fire was directed upon the centre, they ran to the sides. The fire was then directed to the sides. Many threw themselves down on the ground, and the fire was then directed on the ground. This was continued for eight or ten minutes, and it stopped only when the ammunition had reached the point of exhaustion. The most notorious massacre in India’s history is part of Jallianwala Bagh.
This small clearing inside the
Old City is lined on every side by buildings outside a high, unbroken wall. The gruesome incident left 379 dead and more than a thousand wounded. A plaque in the monument says 120 bodies were plucked out of the well, in which the helpless people jumped to save their lives from the evil bullets. Gandhiji, called for a nation wide strike and started the Non-cooperation Movement, which became an important mile stone in the struggle for India's Independence.
Jallianwala Bagh was then a mere open wasteland with a well. Now it’s a landscape garden with a museum run by the Jallianwala Bagh trust. It’s a favourite for the children, who play hide and seek in its hedges.
Related Links: