INTACH points out lapses in Jallianwala Bagh facelift

GS Paul

Amritsar, July 17

Amid objections raised over fresh alterations done and structures raised during the multi-crore facelift project of Jallianwala Bagh, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has pointed out “improper descriptive text” on wall panels and “misspelt signboards written in Punjabi” at the historic site in Amritsar.

An INTACH team, which visited the site, also brought its observations to the notice of the Prime Minister, who is the chairman of the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust, and other trustees, including the Punjab Chief Minister, for rectification.

Prof Sukhdev Singh, state convener of INTACH, said the spelling errors and incorrect description had led to a change its original meaning and significance. “There is no wall panel or board mentioning details of those who sacrificed their lives on April 13, 1919,” he said.

There is no wall panel or board mentioning details of those who sacrificed their lives on April 13, 1919. Prof Sukhdev Singh, INTACH convener

At the museum, the “Sufferers’ Accounts” were wrongly mentioned. Under the title, “That night of 13th April”, in Ratan Devi’s narration, it was written that she passed the whole night sitting beside heaps of bodies in that “solitary jungle”, whereas the Jallianwala Bagh was centrally located in the old walled city just a few yards away from the Golden Temple and surrounded by densely located markets.

The “Kucha Kaurianwala” (referring to the passage from where people were made to crawl while whipping) was mentioned with wrong terminology in Punjabi as “Kodianwala”, which actually meant “leprosy affected”, thereby disrupting its actual meaning.

Similarly, the exit too has a metallic board where directions in Punjabi are misspelt.

Prof Sukhdev said such mistakes with funny narratives at the historic site were an insult to the martyrs. The INTACH team observed that the large-size metal murals of imaginary human figures never matched the originality of the 1919 Punjabi population with middle-aged Sikh men wearing “patkas” and children supporting “spiked hair” (modern hairstyle).

The pedestal that was earlier there to mark the exact location from where British officer Reginald Edward Harry Dyer had ordered to shoot indiscriminately at the gathering was removed and replaced with a marble stone tile merged on the floor, which was hardly recognised by visitors. “Visitors just walk over the spot of the firing without knowing its significance,” he said.

Also, the martyrs’ well that has been enclosed by a glass sheet from all sides, leaves some space for visitors to throw currency and coins. “Don’t make it a place of worship. Visitors may be throwing money as a mark of respect or donation for the upkeep of the Jallianwala Bagh, but the authorities should place a donation box nearby,” he said.

Former MP Tarlochan Singh, one of the Trust members, said, “Certainly, the wrong description and misspelt Punjabi words give a wrong impression. The other shortcomings too would be taken up with the Secretary, Union Ministry of Culture, for rectification.