107th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh

 

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: Gandhi’s Shift from Loyalty to Rebellion

By 

Siby K. Joseph

After leading Satyagraha in South Africa from 1906 to 1914, Gandhi returned to India in January 1915. While his early intervention in Champaran in 1917 demonstrated the power of non-violence, its scope remained localized. In 1919, the British government enacted the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, popularly known as the Rowlatt Act, to suppress rising nationalist sentiment. Gandhi viewed this law as a "shock" designed to "rob the people of all real freedom" and called upon the public to offer Satyagraha against the oppressive act.

In Amritsar, renowned national leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satyapal organised protests against the Rowlatt Act. People from all sects participated in peaceful gatherings at Jallianwala Bagh. This led to significant misunderstandings among the British authorities, who subsequently ordered the arrest and deportation of both Kitchlu and Satyapal. The news of their arrest evoked a strong reaction in Amritsar. Meanwhile, Mahatma Gandhi was arrested on his way to Delhi for refusing to obey orders prohibiting him from entering Punjab and Delhi; he was escorted back to Bombay and set free.

News of Gandhi’s arrest reached Amritsar, sparking violent unrest. As the police lost control over the following two days, the city was placed under de facto martial law, with the Collector handing over command to Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer and his contingent of Gurkha and Pathan troops. On Sunday, April 13, 1919, Dyer banned all public meetings; however, the notice was not widely circulated. Thousands of villagers gathered in Jallianwala Bagh to celebrate Baisakhi and peacefully protest the arrest of their leaders.

Dyer and his troops entered the garden, blocked the main exit, and—without warning—opened fire for ten minutes. They targeted the narrow gates through which the crowd attempted to flee, firing 1,650 rounds until their ammunition was nearly exhausted. Over 1,000 people were killed, including many children. In the aftermath, the British provided no medical aid, leaving local Indian doctors to attend to the wounded. The British government later formed the Hunter Commission to investigate the massacre. While the final report in March 1920 condemned Dyer’s actions as "monstrous," it stopped short of imposing any penal or disciplinary action against him, further fueling Indian resentment.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was an eye-opener for Gandhi, fundamentally altering his belief that the British Government operated for the benefit of India. In an appeal to "Every Englishman" published in Young India on October 27, 1920, Gandhi stated: "In my humble opinion, no Indian has co-operated with the British Government more than I have for an unbroken period of twenty-nine years... It was free and voluntary co-operation based on the belief that the sum total of the activity of the British Government was for the benefit of India." He recounted risking his life for the Empire four times—including during the Boer War, the Zulu Revolt, and WWI—to prove his past loyalty. However, he declared that his faith had been shattered by the government's "treachery" regarding the Khilafat movement and the failure to provide justice for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, leading him to withdraw his support entirely.

This incident marked a pivotal turning point as Gandhi completely lost faith in the British sense of justice. It signaled his transformation from a loyalist into a resolute rebel challenging the Empire through the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920. By the Great Trial of 1922, this metamorphosis was complete. Addressing the court as an "uncompromising disaffectionist," he explained in his written statement: "I owe it perhaps to the Indian public and to the public in England... to explain why, from a staunch loyalist and co-operator, I have become an uncompromising disaffectionist and non-co-operator."

As we observe the 107th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre today, April 13, the vital takeaway is to unequivocally reject violence. This commitment was so central to Gandhi that he described his initial call for Satyagraha as a "Himalayan miscalculation" upon realizing the people were not yet prepared for the discipline of non-violence. His enduring message is for us to remain persistent in our pursuit of justice by transforming the very systems that allow such brutality to occur.

About the Author

Dr. Siby K. Joseph is Director, Sri Jamnalal Bajaj Memorial Library and Research Centre for Gandhian Studies,Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan, Sevagram,Wardha- 442102,  Maharashtra  (INDIA) 

Email :directorjbmlrc@gmail.com