Jallianwala Bagh massacre kin recall memories of escape

AMBALA: While people across Punjab and Haryana associate Baisakhi with harvesting, some associate it with religious activities, but for Tarlochan Singh and his family, April 13 brings alive the tale of his father, Jodh Singh's miraculous escape in the Jallianwala massacre. One of the few survivors of the massacre, Jodh Singh who was just 17 then was quite passionate about the freedom struggle.He accompanied his cousin to Amritsar from Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan) to attend the jalsa that was held in Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919. His first hand account has also been mentioned in the records of the Haryana archives department.
His tale of survival was the only incident that Jodh Singh remembered, even at the time of death in 2003. “From celebrations to the massacare, through out his life he would narrate the minutest of details of the Jallianwala Bagh incident. Make all those you meet aware about the masscare was his last wish at the time of his death in 2003,'' Tarlochan Singh, who is in his late 60s said.
“Our father used to tell us how he along with his cousin went to Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13, 1919. His cousin died in the firing ordered by General Reginald Dyer. It was a matter of chance that he was able to hide in a corner, where no policeman could see him,” said Tarlochan, the eldest son of Jodh Singh.
Jodh has left a piece in his personal diary about the entire incident. 'I was mature enough to understand what was going on in Amritsar. The massacre occurred on April 13 but disturbances had been going on in Amritsar for some days before that. I saw how the British reacted on seeing the brotherhood developing among Hindus and Muslims in the country. On April 9, 1919 a British officer was watching from the roof of Allahabad Bank how Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs were supporting each other. He reacted strongly to it and warned General Dyer of the consequences of this brotherhood. So General Dyer took out a march in the city as a show of strength. But despite that people of different communities went ahead to assemble in a jalsa in Jallianwala Bagh. On April 13, I was sitting with my cousin Sohan in the Bagh. Suddenly the police force ghereoed the gathering and policemen took their position. Without thinking about the consequences they opened fire. My cousin received a bullet injury and died on spot,' he wrote.
Jodh Singh was tortured
Jodh Singh became active in the freedom movement after the Jallianwala Bagh incident and the British government put many restrictions on him when he refused to pay tax on a call given by Mahatma Gandhi. He was not allowed to go outside the village and the police tortured him. Sardar Partap Singh (the then legislative member) had also raised his voice about him in the Punjab Assembly in 1938.