100 years of Jallianwala Bagh massacre
A sea of humanity took over the streets of Chandigarh on Friday to pay tributes to the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. On Saturday, it will be a 100 years since British general Dyers opened fire at a peaceful meeting at the Amritsar park, leaving scores dead.
The annual event organised to mark the day was cancelled due to objections raised by Election Commission in view of ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2019. Instead, a candlelight vigil was organised in Chandigarh today.
On Saturday, several national and regional leaders are expected to visit the Jallianwala Bagh memorial, which was built on the site of the massacre. According to reports, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will visit the memorial tomorrow.
The massacre took place on 13 April 1919, in which over 1000 peaceful protestors were killed on order of British colonel Dyer in Amritsar.
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday expressed "deep regret" for a massacre by British troops in India in 1919. She, however, stopped short of an apology.
"We deeply regret what happened and the suffering caused," May told the British parliament, as India prepares to mark the 100th anniversary of the killings.
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, called for "a full, clear and unequivocal apology".
Former British prime minister David Cameron had earlier described it as "deeply shameful" during a visit in 2013. He, notably, also stopped short of an apology.
