'Disservice to the Tragedy': Historians, Others Decry Jallianwala Bagh Makeover

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually inaugurated the Jallianwala Bagh memorial on 28 August.

The Jallianwala Bagh Memorial.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/BJP4India)

"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," historian and scholar Kim A Wagner wrote on Twitter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, 28 August, had virtually inaugurated the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh memorial, saying “it is the responsibility of every nation to preserve its history.”

The renovation of the historic monument, the site at which hundreds of Indians had been killed by General Dyer of the British army in 1919, has attracted widespread censure.

While some have objected to the setting up of a light and sound show at the site of the tragedy and the covering up of the bullet holes in the walls, many others have expressed their disappointment over the loss of historic significance of the narrow passage that marks the entrance to the Bagh, which has now been treated to a drastic makeover.

The passage in question had been blocked by Dyer during the firing incident, thwarting escape of the victims.

'It's Not a Garden'

Historian S Irfan Habib, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and musician Vishal Dadlani were among those who condemned the renovation.