BATHINDA: After observing 88th martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, now some Left-leaning organisations have started preparations for the centenary of Jallianwala Bagh massacre on a big scale. These organisations have formed Jallianwala Bagh Shatabdi Samagam Committee ( Jallianwala Bagh centenary programme committee), Punjab, by involving intellectuals, including martyr Bhagat Singh’s nephew Jagmohan Singh and activists of various farmer and labour organisations.The committee has chalked out various types of programmes across the state in the coming 20 days to mobilise people to assemble at Jallianwala Bagh on April 13 in large numbers. The campaign was started in Barnala on Saturday, where a large number of persons had assembled to take the ‘fight’ ahead. As many as 1.25 lakh paper bills, 25,000 posters and a booklet have been got printed to make people aware about the significance of the occasion and various details leading to the massacre. Nukkad meetings, flag marches, one-act plays, ‘jagos and parbhat pheris’, screenings of documentary film have been planned for mobilisation of people for the event.Though one of the biggest massacre during the freedom movement in the unified Punjab might not be debated in neighbouring country, some Pakistan-based activists are out to locate the descendants of Muslim martyrs. A total of 59 Muslims were massacred during the unprovoked shoot-out at Jallianwala. According to historian Malwinderjit Singh Warraich, a total of 464 persons were massacred and of these 295 were Hindus, 110 Sikhs and 59 Muslims. Some persons have planned to observe centenary of Jallianwala massacre in Pakistan , as well.“Though there is no such recognition in Pakistan about the Jallianwala massacre but they want the event be classified in the Pak context so that descendants of martyrs, if any, be looked after,” said Pakistan Punjab-based social activist Shafiq Butt. “The Jallianwala bagh massacre may be having Indian connection but reverberations are being felt in neighbouring Pakistan as well. We want the authorities to erect a memorial for paying tributes to the faceless martyrs,” he said.Lahore-based writer Ammara Ahmad said, “Like Bhagat Singh, tributes will be paid to unsung heroes of the freedom struggle on the centenary of Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13.”The Indian government in December 2008 had recognised the massacre as part of the freedom movement, making the descendants to get benefits under Swatantarta Sainik Samman Pension Scheme.“The need to observe the centenary of one of the biggest massacres of innocent persons by British in pre-Independent India increases manifold when we see that even after 71 years of gaining independence those ruling in India are behaving like imperial forces and making people to fight on religious lines. We want people to have independence of all sorts in right earnest,” said centenary observing committee member Amolak Singh. To mobilise people, programmes have been planned across the country and various teams have been formed to visit various places across the state, he added.

Stay updated with all the Amritsar Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.