Tourists visiting Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar return disappointed

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, June 14

Tourists visiting the National Martyrs Memorial are returning disappointed after finding the mega projectors lying non-operational in Jallianwala Bagh.

Among the tourists, a big number is of children who are visiting the holy city due to summer break in their educational institutions, from across the country. The number of tourists swells during these months every year.

One projector showcases the scene of General Dyer commanding his troops to open fire on unarmed Indians assembled in the Bagh while another projector showcases the Sikh history and freedom struggle.

Over three years after the inauguration of a revamped Jallianwala Bagh, housing the National Martyrs Memorial, it is once again in need of technical repair. Several projectors were installed under the Rs 20 crore beautification drive carried out at Jallianwala Bagh for about one and half years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had virtually inaugurated the Bagh on April 13, 2021 to mark 102 years of the massacre.

While the two projectors showcasing the glorious Sikh history and sacrifices made by freedom fighters as part of the freedom struggle which culminated in independence have been lying closed for several weeks, a third projector has been showing signs of malfunctioning with dim beam light.

A tourist, Subodh Sen from Kolkata, said he came here along with his family and friends. They made a stopover here while heading to the adjoining mountainous states. He said they were highly impressed with the spiritual ambience and cleanliness at the Golden Temple. A visit to the Jallianwala Bagh was also eye-opening but the non-operational projectors made them feel that they had missed out on something.

Officials of a private company which has been tasked with the maintenance of the Bagh, said the projectors need to be serviced and the company engaged for the annual maintenance contract (AMC) has been asked to carry it out at the earliest.