Jalianwala Bagh Fact Check
Context:
Introduction: Concerning the Jallianwala Bagh atrocity:
- Unaware of the city’s prohibitory orders, a sizable group of people, largely from nearby villages, assembled on Baisakhi Day to celebrate the holiday in the Jallianwala Bagh, a popular venue for public gatherings.
- A protest gathering had also been organized there by local leaders. The majority of the 20,000 or so people who gathered there were those who had gathered for the festival, however it is unclear how many of them were political activists.
- Two resolutions, one calling for the repeal of the Rowlatt Act and the other denouncing the firing on April 10, had been passed while the meeting was still going on calmly.
- At that point, Brigadier-General Dyer and his troops arrived on the scene. General Dyer ordered the troops to surround the crowd, block the sole exit, and start shooting at the unarmed attendees.
- There was neither a warning nor a directive to disperse. As they attempted to run, a group of unarmed men, women, and children came under fire.
- Official British Indian sources state that 379 people were confirmed deceased and about 1,100 people were injured. On the other hand, the Indian National Congress calculated that there were over 1,500 injuries and almost 1,000 fatalities. However, it is known with certainty that 1,650 rounds were fired into the crowd.
- It is important to review the tale of two investigations carried out more than a century ago in the wake of the massacre as the nation contemplates the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023, which are being proposed this year.
- The Press material Bureau will have the authority to erase any “fake or inaccurate information” about the central government from social media and digital news sources under the proposed rules from the IT Ministry.
- It is time to remember the fundamental rule that guided the Jallianwala Bagh inquiries: No administration should be given free reign to decide what constitutes falsification or error in relation to its own work.
Steps to Take:
- The nationalist movement relied heavily on fact-checking, fact-finding, exposing legal abuse, and disputing official records as instruments of resistance. The determination of facts cannot be placed only in the hands of the government, according to exemplary patriots of this nation.
- Are there adequate resources available to us today to examine and investigate the claims made by the government about its own work? We have an opportunity to learn the truth about our lives, our nation, and our governments through a vibrant, diverse, and open information ecosystem, which goes beyond merely a free press. We must keep in mind that social media vastly increases the likelihood that individuals will tell the truth when recommending legislation for online communication and social media. For the media, activists, and members of civil society, it has emerged as a lifeline.
Conclusion:
- The Jallianwala Bagh inquiry’s founders, Madan Mohan Malviya, Motilal Nehru, M. K. Gandhi, C. R. Das, Abbas Tyabji, M. R. Jayakar, and K. Satnam, would oppose any unrestrained executive control of the information environment, as should we.
