VAISAKHI KI SUB KO SHUB KAMNAYE

As we celebrate the arrival of Vaisakhi on 13^th April,

Let us not forget the tragic events of Jallianwala Bhag on this day the 13^th April 1919 and pay homage to all those who were killed for no reason at all.

Vaisakhi marks the arrival of spring and holds a special significance for the farmers in Punjab as they reap the harvest and enjoy the wealth of their new crop. Vaisakhi has both cultural and historical significance for people of Punjab irrespective of religion. Though the times have changed and we do not celebrate these festivals in the similar manner as was done earlier. Although Vaisakhi was originally celebrated by all but recently Vaisakhi has become the most important event in the Sikh calendar

In 1699 the tenth guru Sri. Govind Singh Ji. established the Sikh Panth to protect the community against the atrocity of the Mughal Rule especially Aurangzeb. Without going in to details the first 5 Sikhs were baptized. They were called the panj pyare also know as the five beloved ones and were given the name of Singh. On this day of Vaisakhi all Gurdwaras are brightly decorated and a colourful procession,bhangra and rishi langars (the Nagar Kirtan) takes place through the streets of the major cities.

Another historic event which can be traced to this day, The Amritsar massacre, also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, was named after the place (Jallianwala Bagh, in Amritsar), where, on April 13, 1919, British Indian Army of (Pathan, Baluch and Gurkha) soldiers without warning opened fire on an unarmed innocent gathering, killing at least 397 men, women and children according to official records. However, according to private sources, the numbers of dead was over 1000 and wounded more than 1200. According to Civil Surgeon Dr Smith, the figures were over 1800. The Casualty figures were never fully ascertained for political reasons.

Kewal Ahluwalia.