PM Modi Inaugurates Renovated Jallianwala Bagh Smarak in Amritsar Via Video Conference

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the renovated Jallianwala Bagh Smarak complex displaying “the horrific massacre of April 1919” in Amritsar via video conference.

“Jallianwala Bagh is the place which gave courage to countless revolutionaries, sacrificers, fighters like Sardar Udham Singh, Sardar Bhagat Singh to die for the freedom of India,” said PM Modi during a national address.

“Those 10 minutes of April 13, 1919, became the saga of our freedom struggle, due to which we are able to celebrate ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ today. In such a situation, getting the modern look of Jallianwala Bagh Memorial in the 75th year of Independence, is an opportunity of great inspiration for all of us,” he said.

“It is the duty of every country to protect its history. Events of past teach us and give direction to move forward,” he said. Horrors like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Partition speak of the sacrifices made for India’s freedom and should not be forgotten as they inspire to keep the country above all, the prime minister said.

“It is not right for any country to ignore such horrors of its past. Therefore, India has decided to observe August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day,” he said.

Quoting Gurbani, the prime minister said happiness emanates from empathy and service. For the all-round progress of Punjab and the country, a combined effort is needed, he said, adding “virasat (heritage) and vikaas (development) must coexist”.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held and a two-minute silence observed in the memory of martyrs of the Jallianwala massacre.

PM Modi in a tweet had invited the nation to watch the ceremony, “Join me as we inaugurate the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak today at 6:25 PM. I also invite you to watch the sound and light show. It would display the horrific massacre of April 1919 and instil a spirit of gratitude and reverence towards the martyrs.”

He will also inaugurate museum galleries developed at the Smarak in Amritsar, according to an official press release. The event will also showcase the multiple development initiatives taken by the government to upgrade the complex.

READ | Light & Sound Show, Sculptures of ‘Those Who Never Came Out’: All About Renovated Jallianwala Bagh Complex

Four museum galleries have been created. The galleries showcase the historical value of events that unfolded in Punjab during that period via a fusion of audio-visual technology, including projection mapping and 3D representation, as well as art and sculptural installations.

Several restoration works have been undertaken. “Elaborate heritage restoration works have been carried out in sync with the local architectural style of Punjab,” it said. The ‘Shaheedi’ well has been repaired and restored with a redefined super structure. At the heart of the Bagh, the flame monument, has been repaired and restored, water body rejuvenated as a lily pond, and the pathways made broader for better navigability.

Union Minister of Culture, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministers of State for Culture, Governor and Chief Minister of Punjab; Chief Ministers of Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh; all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab, members of Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust, among others, will be present on the occasion, it added.

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