Jallianwala closed, kin of martyrs seek nod to pay tributes

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 11

While the government has imposed an embargo on holding public gatherings till April 30, the kin of Jallianwala Bagh martyrs has requested the government to allow them to visit the memorial so that they can pay tributes to their ancestors.

The government had earlier imposed a ban on all public gatherings, including political rallies, in the state in the view of increased number of Covid infections. Otherwise, too, as the memorial is lying closed since February 15 last year, the families of martyrs feel that they would not be allowed inside.

“Last year, too, the bagh was closed but my family members and I managed to visit the place to pay tribute to the martyrs,” said Sunil Kapoor, general secretary, Jallianwala Bagh Freedom Fighters’ Association. Sunil’s great-grandfather, Lala Vasu Mall, a prominent citizen of the city, was killed in the massacre.

“My great grandmother was newly married at that time and women in our family do not wear choora (red bangles) on weddings since then. Every year, we observe the month of Vaisakh as a month of remembrance. For us, it was a ‘khooni Vaisakhi’ (bloody Vaisakhi). Visiting the bagh on the day is very important for us,” said Sunil.

Meanwhile, Mahesh Behal, president, Jallianwala Bagh Shaheed Parivar Samiti, said: “We will be going to the bagh to pay tributes to martyrs like every year on April 13.” He said he had been visiting the bagh to pay tributes to his grandfather and other martyrs of the massacre since 1968.

“There is no reason that we will not be going. We will say our prayers,” he said. Behal’s grandfather Hari Ram Behal had sustained two bullet injuries in the incident after which he died.

The apprehensions among residents have been caused by the recent developments, as the programme of the Prime Minister, who was to inaugurate the renovated memorial virtually on April 13, was deferred due to Covid-19 restrictions in the state till April 30.