International session on Jallianwala Bagh begins at Guru Nanak Dev University

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 23

The All-India Progressive Writers’ Association (AIPWA) on Saturday inaugurated a two-day international conference on “Jallianwala Bagh: Past and Present” at Guru Nanak Dev University. The conference is being held in association with Jallianwala Bagh Chair of the university and the Punjabi Sahitya Akademi, Chandigarh.

The first day of the conference hosted two sessions in which eminent writers, scholars and activists — including Paranjayan Guha Thakurta, Gulzar Singh Sandhu and Teesta Setalvad — spoke on the historical facts leading and following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the context of those events in today’s India.

Noted journalist Paranjayan Guha Thakurta did not mince his words when he said history was being forgotten. “Today’s generation has forgotten the history and background of their country by spending more time on social media. Jallianwala Bagh was significant to our national freedom movement as fall of the British government started only after the Jallianwala Bagh incident. The younger generation should take interest in not just knowing the past, but also the present of Jallianwala Bagh,” he said.

Stressing on the need to crackdown misuse of social media, he said that a lot of lies were being spread on social media that were responsible for what’s happening in the country right now. “Instead of cracking down on it, the governments are playing politics of votes by taking advantage of social media,” he said.

Teesta Sitalvad, in her address, shared some facts behind related to the Jallianwala Bagh incident, contextual to the current situation in the country. “The Hunter Commission, which was formed after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, revealed that General Dyer, who wreaked havoc in Jallianwala Bagh, had admitted that he had carried out the killings under a premeditated conspiracy. Today, there are many General Dyers in the country, who are responsible for riots, incidents of violence and loss of innocent lives,” she said.

Eminent Punjabi writer Gulzar Singh Sandhu said what happened in Jallianwala Bagh in 1919 was a physical massacre but now a spiritual massacre is being carried out. “We should all be aware of this,” he said. Several speakers also expressed that Jallianwala Bagh must be kept away from political abuse.

At the end of the day’s discourse, Sarabjot Singh Behal, Dean Academic affairs, GNDU, presented a poem based on Jallianwala Bagh.

Sukhdev Sirsa, president, All India Progressive Writers Association, said the purpose of organizing this two-day national conference on Jallianwala Bagh was to find out the impact of the massacre on the national movement and how does the young generation view Jallianwala Bagh.