Punjab Students' Union and Naujawan Bharat Sabha on Tuesday started an indefinite protest against the facelift of the historic Jallianwala Bagh.
Hardeep Kaur, a protester of the Punjab Students' Union said that the protest will continue until they restore the historical monument back to its original form.
"Changing the outlook of the historic monument also changes the narrative of history; It had only one gate previously, now it has two. For the ones visiting it for the first time will question that if there were two doors, why did people jump into the well instead," she said.
Alleging a political agenda, she added, "After the face-lift, the entry looks like people are going to a fair. A lotus, the symbol of BJP, has also been placed on the door. Why not use any other flower? The names of Muslims who died here have been cut off. Why? Is it an agenda?"
Adding to it, Ranbir Singh Randhawa a protester of Punjab Students' Union said, "The look has been changed entirely. When you enter, there are statues of people dancing. The place does not feel like it has seen a struggle like the one it did. The well has also been covered."
Further, he alleged, "The struggle at the Jallianwala Bagh was an Anti-imperialist one but the BJP has turned it to a nationalist one. When they present it like that, they show that the Muslims were anti-national. They have tried to change the narrative of the history of Punjab, but the youth here won't allow it."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak to the nation through video conferencing on August 28.
As per the PMO, four Museum galleries have been created through adaptive reuse of redundant and underutilised buildings. The galleries showcase the historical value of events that unfolded in Punjab during that period, with the fusion of audio-visual technology, including projection mapping and 3D representation, as well as art and sculptural installations.
A 'Sound and Light' show has also been set up to display the events that happened on April 13, 1919.
Multiple development initiatives have been undertaken at the complex. Elaborate heritage restoration works have been carried out in sync with the local architectural style of Punjab. The Shaheedi well has been repaired and restored with a redefined superstructure. The heart of the Bagh, the flame monument, has been repaired and restored, the water body rejuvenated as a lily pond, and the pathways made broader for better navigability.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on April 13, 1919, when troops of the British Indian Army, under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer, fired machine guns into a crowd of unarmed protesters and pilgrims who had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab's Amritsar on the occasion of Baisakhi.
The crowd had assembled peacefully at the venue to condemn the arrest of two national leaders -- Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew -- when they were fired at indiscriminately by General Dyer and his men.
( With inputs from ANI )
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