Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Mondayvirtually laid the foundation stone of the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary MemorialPark at Amritsar, with an emotional tribute to the unsung heroes and to theirfamilies from a poem recalling how “After years still, (we are) carrying thepain of martyrs.”
Remembering the martyrs who sacrificed their lives forIndia’s independence, the Chief Minister slammed those criticising the stategovernment for setting up their own memorial, the Chief Minister said everyPunjabi has the right to remember the unparalleled tragedy that paved the wayfor the freedom struggle. Terming the centenary celebration a happy occasion,he said he will also participate in the national level celebration of thehistoric event at the Jallianwala Bagh
On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced aJallianwala Bagh Chair at the Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) and a literaryfestival dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives in one of theworld’s biggest humanitarian tragedy. “The sky frequents daily to weep here, thearrows still sting in Punjab’s heart.” he read from Rukshanda Jaleel’s poem onthe massacre.
Noting that the exact number of deaths in the massacrewas still not known, the Chief Minister asked Tourism and Cultural AffairsMinister Charanjit Singh Channi to ensure that the research into the data iscompleted so that the exact number can be ascertained and small memorials also canbe built in their villages. Pointing out that General Dyer had cited the figureof 200-300 deaths of the 5000 people he said had gathered there, CaptainAmarinder said Gandhiji had put the figure at 1500, of which the names of only492 martyrs were currently available.
He recalled his visit to the Cellular Jail at Kala Pani,where there were many names of Punjabis which nobody is aware of, and directedChanni to also get the information researched and compiled. His governmentwould also build memorials for them in Punjab, he announced.
On the occasion, Tourism & Cultural Affairs MinisterCharanjit Singh Channi honoured 29 family members from amongst 492 identifiedfamilies of the Jallianwala Bagh martyrs so far by district administrationAmritsar with a kalash (urn) and a shawl. The martyrs were identified as KhushiRam, Hari Ram, Sunder Singh s/o Gian Singh, Vasu Mal, Jai Narian, Gopal Singh,Tara Chand, Bishan Dass, Bakshish Singh, Prem Singh, Bibi Har Kaur, DiyalSingh, Sunder Singh s/o Nathu, Thakur Singh, Boorh Singh s/o Teja Singh, BoorhSingh s/o Deva Singh, Jhanda Singh, Ganda Singh, Natha Singh, Lachman Singh s/oHira Singh, Bishan Singh, Lachman Singh s/o Dayal Singh, Bawa Singh, Ami Chand,Chet Singh, Buddha Singh, Sohan Singh, Tara Singh and Ishar Singh.
The Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial Park, to come upover 4490 sq meters at Amrit Anand Park in Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar, will standout as a remembrance for the futuregenerations. To be built at a cost of Rs. 3.52 crore, the sacred memorial willhave soil brought by the kin of Martyrs or Panchayats/Sarpanches/Councillors.The unique memorial has been conceived and designed as five marble fins goingup to the sky. The memorial is expected to be completed and dedicated to thepeople on Independence Day i.e 15th August, 2021. The literary festival will beorganised GNDU around Baisakhi with the aim of reconnecting the youngergenerations with the tragic event.
Earlier in his address, the Tourism and Cultural AffairsMinister Charanjit Singh Channi apprised the Chief Minister about the salientfeatures of the project. “The fins ofthe memorial symbolize the indomitable spirit of the martyrs of varied agegroups viz. Children, Teenagers, Youth, Middle aged and old. They alsorepresent five fingers of the hand, as a unified power of the martyrs. TheWhite denotes the purity of their supreme sacrifice”, he said.
“These fins rise from a circular platform around acentral empty space representing the void created by their martyrdom. Anelliptical path encloses the green setting of this memorial and the landscapingaround is planned in a subtle manner so as not to dominate the proposedmemorial structure. The entire memorial delineates serene ambience of themarvellously landscaped park which enhances the beauty of this novel memorialmanifold”, he added.
He further said that the soil from the various villagesto which these martyrs belonged shall also be brought to fill up below thesacred platform to pay humble tributes to these martyrs from this soil shallrise these fins to go up to the sky. Walls covered in stone engulf the platformwith the names of martyrs inscribed on it. A small raised platform is alsoplanned as a place for keeping wreaths in front of the fins as a mark ofrespectful homage, he said.