"I'm A Martyr's Son": Rahul Gandhi Joins Outrage Over Jallianwala Revamp

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday joined the growing outrage over the renovation of the Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab - where over 1,000 people died 102 years ago after the British, led by General Dyer, opened fire on thousands of men and women holding a peaceful protest.

In two tweets (one each in Hindi and English) Mr Gandhi lashed out at "those who didn't struggle for freedom" and said that he, as "the son of a martyr", "will not tolerate this insult... at any cost".

"Such an insult to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh can only be done by those who do not know the meaning of martyrdom. I am the son of a martyr - I will not tolerate the insult of martyrs at any cost. We are against this indecent cruelty," he tweeted in Hindi.

Mr Gandhi attached a screenshot of a media report showing the light and laser display that accompanied the re-opening - an extravagant display that has generated further anger.

"Those who didn't struggle for freedom can't understand those who did," he tweeted in English.

Those who didn't struggle for freedom can't understand those who did.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 31, 2021

The renovated memorial and the gaudy lights show have been criticised by members of the public and opposition leaders who accused the government of destroying history.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said, "Only those who stayed away from the epic freedom struggle can scandalise thus". 

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi tweeted: Call me a traditional Indian but I am not a fan of installing disco lights on institutions of importance and dignity. Such pomp reduces the gravity and horror of the Jallianwala Bagh to base entertainment..."

Call me a traditional Indian but I am not a fan of installing disco lights on institutions of importance and dignity. Such pomp reduces the gravity and horror of the Jallianwala Bagh Smarak to base entertainment. Similarly the strobe lights on Parliament are also appalling. https://t.co/ZesKZtKNKD

— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) August 30, 2021

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote of "the pain... the loss (and) the tragedy" and slammed attempts to "beautify" or "modify" those memories.

"The pain was real, the loss was immense, the tragedy was unforgettable. Sometimes the places evoke pain and serve as a reminder to what we lost and what we fought for. Trying to 'beautify' or 'modify' those memories is doing great damage to our collective history," she tweeted.

The pain was real, the loss was immense, the tragedy was unforgettable. Sometimes the places evoke pain&serve as a reminder to what we lost&what we fought for. Trying to ‘beautify' or ‘modify' those memories is doing great damage to our collective history. #JallianwalaBagh https://t.co/01rAIIkA2W

— Priyanka Chaturvedi???????? (@priyankac19) August 30, 2021

Others, including academics, have slammed politicians, declaring they had failed to appreciate the significance of Jallianwala Bagh and the iconic place it has in the Indian independence struggle.

"This is corporatisation of monuments... where they end up as modern structures, losing the heritage value. Look after them without meddling with the flavours of the period these memorials represent," historian S Irfan Habib tweeted.

This is corporatisation of monuments, where they end up as modern structures, losing the heritage value. Look after them without meddling with the flavours of the period these memorials represent. https://t.co/H1dXQMmft7

— S lrfan Habib (@irfhabib) August 30, 2021

Another historian, Kim A Wagner, tweeted: "Devastated to hear that Jallianwala Bagh, site of the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, has been revamped - which means that the last traces of the event have effectively been erased."

Devastated to hear that Jallianwala Bagh, site of the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, has been revamped - which means that the last traces of the event have effectively been erased. This is what I wrote of the memorial in my book, describing a space that has now itself become history. pic.twitter.com/GypQfrOulq

— Kim A. Wagner (@KimAtiWagner) August 28, 2021

As he inaugurated the complex on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi declared that horrors like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre spoke of sacrifices made for freedom and should not be forgotten.