107 years on, Jallianwala Bagh still awaits an authenticated roll of Honour

AMRITSAR: More than a century after one of the darkest chapters in India’s colonial history, the exact number of martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre continues to remain uncertain.

On April 13, 1919, thousands of men, women and children gathered at Jallianwala Bagh to celebrate Baisakhi and to peacefully protest against repressive Rowlatt Act.


What followed was an indiscriminate firing by British troops that turned a festive gathering into a scene of horror and bloodshed.


Even after 107 years, there is no consensus on the number of people who were martyred that day. Estimates have varied widely—from around 500 to 800 to over 1,200—creating confusion and debate among historians, officials and descendants of victims.


Raising the issue, former Rajya Sabha MP and trustee of the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust, Tarlochan Singh, has urged the Punjab govt to prepare an verified list of martyrs which should be authenticated by Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar and display the same at Jallianwala Bagh, adding that the present list displayed is allegedly disputed.


"The authenticated list displayed displayed at Jallianwala Bagh will bring clarity and closure to the long-standing uncertainty," said Tarlochan.


The tenure of the present Trust office-bearers and members expired in 2023 and hasn't been reconstituted so far.


The tragedy cannot be understood without recalling the context of the Rowlatt Act, which empowered the British administration to arrest and detain Indians without trial. The law triggered widespread anger across the country. In Amritsar, tensions escalated after the arrest of prominent leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal on April 10, 1919. Protests erupted, and the administration imposed martial law, banning public gatherings.

Unaware of these restrictions, thousands assembled at Jallianwala Bagh on Baisakhi. Viewing the gathering as defiance, British General Reginald Dyer marched in with troops, blocked the narrow entrance and ordered firing without any warning. The shooting lasted about 10 minutes, leaving hundreds dead and many more injured in one of the most brutal acts of colonial repression.


In January 2021, the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner’s office prepared a list of 492 martyrs, which is displayed at a parallel memorial constructed during the tenure of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh at Ranjit Avenue. However, this list too did not resolve the controversy.


According to Mahesh Behal, president of Jallianwala Bagh Shaheed Parivar Samiti, no authenticated and universally accepted list has been released so far.


He pointed out that people still approach the Shaheed Parivar Samiti to have the names of their ancestors included, but the organisation can only record such claims without official validation.

further said that a figure of around 1,250 martyrs, mentioned in some central govt records, is believed by many to be closer to reality. Yet, the absence of a definitive, verified roll continues to cast doubt over all existing estimates.


Adding another layer of complexity, Behal said that several descendants of the martyrs are now believed to be living in Pakistan, making documentation even more challenging. Despite these hurdles, there is a growing demand for the govt to take decisive steps to authenticate the list.