General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

muqawwee123 · March 1, 2012, 1:21pm

Today, western media promotes stories about intolerance and their so called fundamentalism of Asians, they forget what their rulers did with people of countries they ruled.

General Dyer was hardly remorseful for Jallianwala massacre Queen Elizabeth will visit Jallianwalla Bagh next month. Another look at the controversy.

**"It was a horrible duty to perform. But I think it was a merciful thing. I thought I should shoot well and shoot straight so that I or anybody else would not have had to shoot again.‘’
**

**The words of Brigadier General Reginald Dyer himself – the perpetrator of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre which left 379 dead and 1,500 injured in 1919.
**

Deposing before the Hunter commission inquiring into the shooting, ** General Dyer said his action was meant to punish the people if they disobeyed his orders.** He thought from a military point of view, such an action would create a good impression in Punjab.

However, what was more damning was his statement, ‘‘I think it quite possible that I could have dispersed the crowd without firing but they would have come back again and laughed, and I would have made, what I consider, a fool of myself.’’

He contended that martial law existed de facto in Amritsar at that time although only demonstrations had been forbidden. He also claimed that his military column had stopped at every important point to announce that all meetings have been banned which were accompanied by the beating of drums.

However, when questioned with the help of a map of the city,** General Dyer was forced to admit that important localities had been omitted, and a large number of people would not have known about the proclamation. **

He confessed he did not take any steps to attend to the wounded after the firing. ‘‘Certainly not. It was not my job. Hospitals were open and they could have gone there,’’ came his pathetic response. ( )

**
Miseries of those who suffered**

However, the misery suffered by the people was reflected in Rattan Devi’s account**. She was forced to keep a nightlong vigil, armed with a bamboo stick to protect her husband’s body from jackals and vultures. Curfew with shoot-at-sight orders had been imposed from 2000 hours that night**.

Rattan Devi stated, ''I saw three men writhing in great pain and a boy of about 12. I could not leave the place. The boy asked me for water but there was no water in that place…At 2 am, a jat who was lying entangled on the wall asked me to raise his leg. I went up to him and took hold of his clothes drenched in blood and raised him up. Heaps of bodies lay there, a number of them innocent children. I shall never forget the sight. I spent the night crying and watching…"

The general was given a hero’s welcome in London General Dyer admitted before the commission that he came to know about the meeting at Jallianwala Bagh at 1240 hours that day, but took no steps to prevent it.

Colum, a scholar who interviewed his widow and consulted his papers, said, "This unexpected gift of fortune, this unhoped for defiance, this concentration of rebels in an open space – it gave him an opportunity as he could not have devised. It separated the guilty from the innocent, it placed them where he would have wised them to be – within the reach of his sword.‘’

However, General Dyer admitted in his deposition that the gathering at the Bagh was not a concentration only of rebels, but people who had covered long distances to participate in the Baisakhi fair.

Swinson, an English journalist, described the scene as: ‘‘Hundreds were asleep in the sun, others were concentrating on their game of cards. A number of them had come with their children, three to 12 years old. Some 27,000 odd people had gathered in the Bagh, an open space surrounded on all sides by houses with only four narrow entrances.’’

General Dyer said he would have used his machine guns if he could have got them into the enclosure, but these were mounted on armoured cars. He said he did not stop firing when the crowd began to disperse because he thought it was his duty to keep firing until the crowd dispersed, and that a little firing would do no good.

He was censured by the Hunter commission for his action. He retired and was sent back to England. However, he continued to maintain that he had done no disservice to the Raj, and what he did was right, for which the British ought to be thankful.

**In London, the general was given a hero’s welcome. Called ‘‘the saviour of India,’’ the editor of the Morning Post collected 3,000 pounds to award him for his services. The Tories and a majority of members in the House of Lords rallied to his support. The army counsel which took up the case charged him only for an error of judgement, and recommended his retirement on half pay with no prospects of further employment. A British court even exonerated him of this charge.

**Rediff On The NeT: General Dyer hardly remorseful for Jallianwala massacre

This attitude of so called supporters of human rights has not changed..

the_kaur · March 1, 2012, 1:37pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

The site was chosen to protest against the arrest of Dr.Satyapal and Dr.Saifuddin Kichlu, It is still in Amritsar with various marks of bullet holes in the wall all around, there is only one gate to get into it and also just a single well. General Dyre ordered open firing, many people jumped in the well to save themselves, as there was just one gate people even can't get out.

years later Udham Singh also known Ram mohammad singh Azad shot Michael O'Dyer lietuenant governor of Punjab in 1919 in the the year 1940, a city is named after him in UP

muqawwee123 · March 1, 2012, 1:41pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Ram Mohammad Singh? Who was he?

What was the role of lietuenant governor of Punjab in the incident?

the_kaur · March 1, 2012, 2:15pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

He was target number two in 1940, Brig-Gen Dyer was died in 1927 under severe medical condition hence Udham Singh targeted then Lt-governor as the one who was responsible for not controlling the Brig gen dyer, Ram mohammad Singh Azad, was the name he chose representing the region of people who died in the massacre, He was member of Ghadar party founded by Lala Hardyal which later developed into Hindustan Socialist Republican Association which was almost defunct by 1940.

muqawwee123 · March 1, 2012, 2:38pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Same party to which Bhagat Singh was a member?

Faris_Udeen · March 1, 2012, 3:09pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Yes.

Udham Singh is considered a universal hero among Punjabis and to be honest even frontiermen like myself find him a very inspiring figure and one can certainly relate to his sense of courage and honour.

General Dyer on the other hand deliberatley opened fire on a crowd of unnarmed civilians and whats more he did this with Machine guns, semi automatic rifles and even an armoured car. Whats more alarming is that he then tried to defend his actions in a court of inquiry as self defence. Sound fammiliar? :D

This is the same gerneral Dyer who went on to cause further scandals in Britian he was treated as a hero and awarded a huge sum of £26,000 which for the time was so much money you could buy a house for £400 in those days. That was just a private fund he recieved several offical honours from the Monarch of the time as well.

In Indian history I believe he is one of the most detested British Imperialists that had ever set foot on that continent, and his controversy is no less than that of Warren Hastings a couple of generations before him.

the_kaur · March 1, 2012, 5:02pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Yes the very same revolutionary party he belonged to, All prominent member of the party like Azad,Bhagat,ashfaqullah were part of Civil Disobedience Movement as child activist in 1921, they all perceived Gandhi's method as ineffective meanwhile Russian revolution of 1917 made them to organize in similar way to bring revolution of India, in fact they were the first promoter of Marxist-Leninist principles in India. Bhagat was prominent as he was most thoughtful and intelligent and was known atheist.

muqawwee123 · March 1, 2012, 5:05pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

I was also thinking of why a separate movement (including Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs) when there were parties like Muslim League and Congress. Also read today about All India Sikh League.

the_kaur · March 1, 2012, 5:22pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

These people were termed as revolutionaries as they believed in Russian revolution type of thing, they also believed violence as a part of struggle like Left philosophy "power flows through barrel of gun" and atheism as leftists believe that religions divide people. Congress had very strong support base cutting across all sections, League was nowhere powerful election of 1937, in 1940 Jinnah brought in concept of pakistan which resulted in polarization of Muslim vote and league formed government in Punjab and Bengal. Congress had Baccha Khan and Abul kalam azad as well. League had some support of Dalits from Bengal and that was betrayed after Jinnah's death. There was many parties like All India Sikh League, Hindu Mahasabha, Unionist Party of Punjab (relevent till 1937) these parties had little or no significance after election of 1945.

muqawwee123 · March 6, 2012, 12:14pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Who were Gorkhas that fired on innocent and unarmed people? I particularly want know what was their religion?

Ali_Syed · March 6, 2012, 1:07pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

I guess the Gurkhas are basically Nepali fighters?

muqawwee123 · March 6, 2012, 1:10pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Neplai means Budhist?

Ali_Syed · March 6, 2012, 1:14pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Nepali from Nepal the country (thats my guess)!

Nepal is the only hindu conuntry in the world.

muqawwee123 · March 6, 2012, 2:48pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Ali, if we consider Hinduism being the religion of Gurkhas, then here is the situation of troops who opened fire on unarmed innocent people of same creed / religion:

[QUOTE]

It was by his command that 50 troops, including 25 Gurkhas of 1st/9th Gurkha Rifles,** 25 Pathans and Baluch** (Muslims) of 54th Sikhs and 59th Sindh Rifles, all armed with .303 Lee-Enfield rifles opened fire on a gathering of unarmed civilians, including women and children, gathered at the Jallianwalla Bagh in what came to be known later as the Amritsar massacre.
[/QUOTE]

Ali_Syed · March 6, 2012, 3:01pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Yes and I was reading in some other articles today, that the crowd also consisted of muslims, hindus and sikhs. There are these kind of things that are completely missing from our history.

muqawwee123 · March 6, 2012, 3:07pm

Re: General Dyre - The Man Behind Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Yes, the things changed rapidly after Jalianwala Bagh incident in 1919. On one side, people from different religion were struggling together for freedom and there were people who were ready to open fires on the people having same religion on the orders of British rulers.

British, while leaving India, made sure that they harmony between people of India should never be revived and they gave problems like Kashmir, etc so that there infamous policy of 'Divide and rule' could work out.