A tribute to the martyrs

A walk through leads to horrifying images that display the darkest moment of colonial rule in India. To commemorate the centenary of Jalianwala Bagh, the exhibition focuses on the history of the massacre that was published in the form of news reports and photographs from that time. Everything has been collated into the historical context of the events leading up to the massacre, and the horrific aftermath.

The show tells the story of Punjab in 1919 in a new way—through its impact on people’s lives. The massacre was just one part of a much larger system of colonial oppression in Punjab that lasted for months, even years. It crucially examines whether it was a conspiracy to trap people inside Jallianwala Bagh with no escape routes.

The exhibition uses various installations and medium to explore the tragedy that befell Amritsar on 13 April 1919 and the martial law that followed. For instance, a replica of the well that people at Jallianwala Bagh fell into while trying to escape their ordeal, and a recreated display of a whipping post that was used at the time. A significant art installation comprising the sort of everyday objects and clothes that may have been strewn in the Bagh after the massacre is on display. This is mostly based on eyewitness accounts.

The exhibition, inaugurated by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in collaboration with The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust (TAACHT) is on till April 28 from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. except on Mondays.