Families of Jallianwala Bagh victims protest denial of freedom fighter benefits

Descendants of the victims of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre abstained from participating in the tribute-paying and wreath-laying ceremony organised by the Union Ministry of Culture and Tourism on the 107th anniversary of the tragedy here on Monday. Instead, they held a separate programme under the banner of the Jallianwala Bagh Freedom Fighters’ Foundation.

Among others, RSS national joint secretary Krishan Gopal attended the official event held at Jallianwala Bagh.

Foundation chairman Sunil Kapoor said the government’s programme commenced at 3 pm, while the descendants paid their tributes an hour earlier at 2 pm at the national memorial before leaving the venue.

Kapoor pointed out that the martyrs were granted the status of freedom fighters only in 2008, 89 years after the massacre, making them eligible for benefits meant for freedom fighters. However, he said these benefits were later denied on policy grounds.

On the anniversary, the descendants reiterated their long-pending demands for benefits such as reservation in jobs, free travel and priority in gas or petrol pump dealerships, which they claim have been denied to them.

Kapoor criticised the policy governing such benefits, which restricts eligibility to the grandchildren of martyrs. In this case, he said, the recognition came nearly 90 years later, by which time two to three generations had already passed.

Kapoor, whose great-grandfather Wasu Mal Kapoor was killed in the massacre, added that a state government committee headed by the Chief Secretary had been formed to recommend solutions to the Centre, but no progress had been made.

Rajinder Sharma, 55, great-grandson of Amin Chand, also expressed disappointment, stating that successive governments had failed to address their concerns. He said their key demands include the inclusion of two representatives of martyrs’ families in the Prime Minister-headed Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust and the display of a complete list of martyrs at the site.

He further alleged that the government has not treated them on par with other freedom fighters, resulting in the denial of benefits such as job reservations, free travel and dealership priorities.

Addressing the gathering, RSS national joint secretary Krishan Gopal remarked that the Hunter Committee was a government-appointed body whose report was influenced by the British administration. He said that a separate report by freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya is considered more credible.

Earlier, Shwait Malik, trustee of the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust, welcomed participants and paid homage to the martyrs. He recalled that the site was in poor condition before the Narendra Modi government sanctioned Rs 20 crore for its renovation. Improvements included murals, patriotic paintings, a light-and-sound show, and upgraded facilities. He added that seven years after its virtual inauguration, the memorial continues to be well maintained.

Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh paid floral tributes at the memorial, accompanied by Additional Deputy Commissioner Rohit Gupta, SDM-1 Alka Kalia, Trust secretary Mukherjee, Mala Chawla and other officials. He stated that the massacre sowed the seeds of India’s independence and that the sacrifices of the martyrs would always be remembered.

A painting competition was also organised, where students expressed their thoughts on the martyrs, the national memorial and the freedom movement. Amritsar Mayor Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia was present on the occasion.

Congress leaders, including Krishan Kumar Sharma, former minister Rajkumar Verka, and former MLAs Jugal Kishore Sharma and Sunil Dutti, also paid homage to the martyrs.

Krishan Kumar said that the significance of the day, highlighting that it coincided with Baisakhi and commemorated the founding of the Khalsa Panth, an important chapter in Sikh history.