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05-03-2006, 14:45 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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Postmaster General
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When the Brits bombed Gujranwala
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Wednesday, May 03, 2006 E-Mail this article to a friend Printer Friendly Version
When the Brits bombed Gujranwala
By Imran Saleem
GUJRANWALA: Jaliyanwala Garden incident that took place in 1919 widened the gap between the people of British India and the government and gave impetus to demonstrations that were being staged in almost every area of the Indian subcontinent.
People boycotted British goods and quitted government jobs.
Gujranwala people waited for trains to ask passengers about the protest situation in other cities.
To teach protestors a lesson, Colonel Oberon, Gujranwala deputy commissioner, ordered Gujranwala people to salute every British officer upon sight. Horse riders were ordered to dismount and salute British officers, while car drivers had to stop their cars and get out of it before saluting the officer. Pedestrians were ordered to close their umbrella to salute British officers. Gujranwala students were made to salute Union Jack every morning before going to their classes and their parents had to visit the school to salute Union Jack in case of their son's absence. This humiliation increased the hatred against the British government.
On April 13, 1919, Gujranwala people gathered on Grand Trunk Road to plan protest demonstrations against the Jaliyanwala incident when the then Gujranwala police officer Herron reached there. Someone from the crowd threw a shoe at the face of Herron and police charged baton to disperse the people.
Gujranwala Deputy Commissioner Col Oberon went to Lahore and Mirza Sultan Ahmad took the charge as deputy commissioner.
On April 14, 1919, people of Kutchi (an area in Gujranwala) found a dead calf hanging from a tree. Angered by the humiliation of "mother cow", Hindus in Gujranwala attributed this to Muslims. Hindu-Muslim riots were about to erupt when the leaders of Gujranwala made people aware of the British conspiracy to "divide-and-rule". As a result, people demonstrated against the British government and held black flags and headed towards Gujranwala Railway Station. All shops and offices in Gujranwala were closed.
People also stopped a Peshawar-bound train coming from Lahore and blocked the track. They asked the train driver to take the train back to Lahore but he did not accept their demand and the people threw stones at the train. People climbed into the cabin of the train driver, while others stood on the track but the driver kept the train moving slowly. People set a railway bridge on fire, which made the driver stop the train. Gujranwala police put out the fire. Deputy Commissioner Mirza Sultan Ahmad ordered police not to harm people and the train went back to Lahore.
Sending the train back to Lahore increased the courage of the people, who cut telephone lines and set a bridge at Kutchi on fire. People of Kutchi area pelted stones at policemen and injured several police officials. As a result, police charged baton to disperse the crowd. People started setting post offices and other government buildings in Gujranwala on fire and stopped fire brigade from extinguishing fire. Gujranwala police was activated that secured government buildings. Violent demonstrations panicked the families of British officials, who lived in Civil Lines area, and were moved to the railway station where a large number of policemen had been deployed.
Kutchi people tried to destroy the railway track several times but the police foiled their attempts. Police Officer Herron warned Kutchi people that they would be shot dead if they tried destroying the railway track. Police asked Kutchi people to go back but the people demanded Herron salute them before they leave. Suddenly, one Karam Din stepped forward from the crowd and slapped Herron on the face. Herron ordered police to open fire at the people.
Police opened fire killing and injuring several people. When the news spread, people from other areas of Gujranwala reached Kutchi and upon seeing killed people they got infuriated and chanted slogans against the British government. When people gathered at Kutchi area, police started marching towards the railway station to avoid clash, but people chased police and pelted stones at them. Police surrounded the railway station and came face-to-face with the people.
An Indian sub-inspector came forward and threw his police uniform at Herron before saluting the bodies of dead protestors, while another four policemen followed him.
British officials were in trouble, as they could not call for backup from other cities because all roads to Gujranwala had been blocked and telephone lines cut. Herron sent some policemen to Sialkot, Rawalpindi and Lahore via Eminabad and Rahwali (suburbs of Gujranwala) and sought military aid.
The crowd chanted slogans "Kill the white pig, Herron".
Herron asked Deputy Commissioner Mirza Sultan Ahmed to open fire at the crowd, but he refused to do so. Meanwhile, the then deputy commissioner Col Oberon reached Gujranwala on his car, which led to more violent protests. Police again charged baton and the crowd set the railway station on fire, damaging a train. The crowd got divided into different groups and rushed to different areas of the city to set government buildings on fire. They burnt Tehsil Office, Clock Tower, Dak Bangla, kutcheri, and the houses of British officials.
Deputy Commissioner Col Oberon, Herron and police rushed to the Central Jail, which was surrounded by the crowd, who demanded the release of Indian prisoners. Col Oberon and Herron threatened the mob of severe consequences, but the crowd tried to set the jail on fire.
When Herron refused to meet their demand, the people made their way into the jail. Police opened fire at them, killing several people. The mob attacked the jail several times to get the prisoners released.
However, when the crowd could not secure the release of the prisoners, they rushed to the railway station, where just few policemen were left. They damaged the railway track before looting goods from the railway store.
Fire had engulfed the entire city, when helicopters and four fighter aircrafts reached Gujranwala and opened fire at the people, dispersing the crowd. The people stayed home and the city wore a deserted look.
On the same day, a procession from Dhullay was coming to help Gujranwala people against the British government when the military aircrafts bombed the procession, killing scores of people. The bombs panicked the people, who came out of their houses and gathered at the Khalisa High School Gurunanakpura.
Military aircrafts hurled three bombs at Garjakh and one at Khalisa High School Gurunanakpura. The aircrafts bombed various areas of Gujranwala and its surroundings for half an hour before returning to Lahore.
On April 15, the British army arrested many famous leaders of Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities. On April 16, emergency was imposed in Gujarnwala and the army took over.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-5-2006_pg7_32
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