Gandhi coined the term “Dyerism” after Dyer’s firing order causing Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 and yet he forgave Dyer

 It is the centenary of Jallianwalabagh massacre. Curiously nationalism is being made the central plank by a certain political party during the ongoing election campaign. While invoking nationalism let us gratefully recall Jallianwalabagh where  hundred years back more than three hundred Indians professing diverse faiths were brutally killed by Brigadier Dyer.  He ordered firing on unarmed people gathered  there for peacefully protesting against  arrest and deportation of  two nationalists , Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, under the Rowlatt Act which provided for summary detention and trial of Indians. The horrors of massacre stirred Indians and traumatized them. It also caused deep pain and anguish to some of the leaders of the British empire.  Winston Churchill described it as “...an event of an entirely different order from any of those tragic occurrences which take place when troops brought into collision with the civil population”. He then added by saying “It is an extraordinary event, a monstrous event, an event which stands in singular and sinister isolation”. 

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore returned the Knighthood conferred on him by the British Government upon winning Nobel Prize for literature and wrote poignantly “ The time has come when badges of honor make our shame glaring in the incongruous context of humiliation, and I for my part wish to stand, shorn of all special distinctions, by the side of those of my country men, who for their so called insignificance, are liable to suffer degradation not fit for human beings”. Mahatma Gandhi also returned the Kaisar-I-Hind award given to him in  1915 to express his disapproval of the massacre in a cold blooded manner. A few years back when the British Queen visited India she went to Jallianwalabagh and laid a wreath at the memorial erected in memory of those who were massacred by British bullets. The British Prime Minister Teresa May deeply regretted what happened in Jallianawalabagh and the suffering caused by the massacre. However, Jeremy Corbyn, Opposition leader of the Labour Party in the British Parliament asked May for a full, clear and unequivocal apology.

Given the extraordinary significance of the sufferings of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs in Jallianawalbagh exactly hundred years back we need to recall that common weal of all Indians for the cause of inclusive nationalism, freedom and independence. It is tragic that Prime Minister Modi had no time to visit that place of pilgrimage and pay respects to the martyrs. If Shri Rahul Gandhi could find some time from the election campaign and visit that sacred place why could not the Prime Minister who is the Chairman of the Jallianawala Bagh Memorial Committee go there and lead the nation in paying homage to the freedom fighters who left behind the legacy of Hindu-Muslim Unity and interfaith harmony which is of critical relevance for our time when people are being polarized and divided in the name of religion, food they eat and modes of their worship.

The sacrifices of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs  hundred  years ago in Jallainawalbagh are of abiding relevance to stem the counter culture of majoritarianism and communalism. Such significant lessons can be learnt very meaningfully by reading and analyzing the writings of Mahatma Gandhi on Jallianwalabagh massacre.   In his “Punjab Letter” published in Navjivan on 15th February 1920 he wrote that the Jallianawala Bagh remained a consecrated spot and he wanted that it should become a place of pilgrimage. Explaining that while Hardwar remained a place of pilgrimage for Hindus alone and not that of Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Jews he asserted that “Jallianwala Bagh, on the other hand, is a sacred spot for all who were born or who live in India” and, therefore, thousands visited it for that purpose.

Proving a very positive and profound point that “This idea does not have its source in hatred but is born of our love for those innocent men and women who lost their lives” he affirmed that our visit to the Bagh was not meant to remind ourselves of General Dyer’s cruelty or to keep alive the memory of General Dyer’s wrong and thereby feed our hatred. He then cautioned that  without preserving the memory of the innocent the nation would perish. Reminding that “The sacrifice of innocent people, killed for no crime of theirs, is a great opportunity to a nation to raise itself higher” he remarked,  “If the people do not treasure the memory of such an event, then, as a spendthrift, careless of his wealth, becomes a pauper, so the nation also will become insolvent.” Adding further he said “If, on the contrary, it treasures this wealth, it is bound to prosper.” Explaining that “If 500 or 1,000 innocent persons deliberately embrace death, this will have the effect of raising the country instantaneously, an effect so tremendous as to be regarded a miracle”, he thoughtfully observed, “May be we cannot bring about such a miraculous result from the slaughter of the innocent people in the Jallianwala Bagh; the event, however, will always be recognized as a potent influence in uniting Hindus and Muslims and in creating an awakening throughout the land.”. At the end he noted “It is, therefore, our duty to see that it ever lives in our memory.”

Mahatma Gandhi invoked the ideal of Hindu - Muslim unity in the context of Jaliwanawalbagh massacre which took place hundred years back and wanted the awakening of consciousness to take forward that cherished ideal for building the momentum of freedom struggle and achieving independence for India.  He coined the term Dyerism to denote and explain exclusion and cruelty imposed on Dalits in the name of untouchability and killing of Muslims and others in the name of cow protection. He  described cruel practice adopted  by British planters to coerce farmers in Champaran to plant Indigo as Dyerism in action. In 2019 on the solemn occasion of observing the centenary of that massacre we are witnessing calculated assault on Hindu -Muslim unity by  those who speak of nationalism in an exclusive sense to promote jingoism for the purpose of getting  votes and ironically they are the protagonists of majoritarianism which is nothing but Dyerism in every sense of the term.

In another article “Jallianwalia Bagh”  written in Young India on 18th February 1920 Mahatma Gandhi while describing the massacre of innocent civilians as “tragedy of first class national importance” and observing  that “Nations are born out of travail and suffering” noted that “We should forfeit all title to be considered a nation, if we failed to treasure the memory of those who in our battle for political freedom might, innocently or for the crimes of others, lose their lives or otherwise suffer”. He then insightfully asked “And has not the blood of the Mohammedan mixed with that of the Hindu? Has not the blood of the Sikh mixed with that of the Sanatanist and the Samajist? The memorial should be a national emblem of an honest and sustained effort to achieve Hindu-Muslim unity.”  Wise and profound words indeed.

It is unfortunate that in twenty first century India the syncretic aspects of Jallianawalabagh martyrs is lost sight of and a kind of Dyerism is invoked and perpetuated to destroy the idea of India and look at Indian citizenship from the perspective of a few religions. Mahatma Gandhi had told American journalist Katherine Mayo on 17th March 1926 that “I want this country to be spared of Dyerism. That is, I do not want my country, when it has the power, to resort to frightfulness in order to impose her custom on others.” The powers that be should be mindful of the words of the father of our nation. The undying spirit of Jallianawala Bagh which shaped freedom struggle and our nation building needs to be reaffirmed and reinforced in defence of our composite culture and shared heritage fashioned by people professing diverse faiths. It means defending the idea of India, creative nationalism and the Constitution.

Another outstanding lesson derived from Mahatma Gandhi’s writings on Jallianwala massacre is that he forgave Dyer in spite of the heinous crime he committed by killing innocent and unarmed people. In an article “Religious Authority for Non-cooperation” authored by him and published in Young India on 25th August 1920 he wrote, “it would be sin for me to serve General Dyer and co-operate with him to shoot innocent men. But it will be an exercise of forgiveness or love for me to nurse him back to life, if he was suffering from a physical malady. At a time when retribution is actuating people to retaliate and even cause blood shed it is important to recall Gandhi’s noble words to heal the wound and injury caused to the soul. He never approved of any revenge for what Dyer did in Jallianwalabagh and even wrote on 14th July 1920 that “the fury that has been spent upon General Dyer is, I am sure, largely misdirected.”

Gandhi’s worldview and action completely free from any action riddled with the thoughts of revenge was best reflected when he responded to some one who informed him that paralysis attack on Dyer could be an outcome of what he did in Jallianwalabagh in killing hundreds of Indians. Gandhi wrote on 24th July 1927  “I do not think that his paralysis has any necessary connection with his action in Jallianwala Bagh. Have you considered the implications of such beliefs?… My dysentery, appendicitis and this time a mild attack of paralysis must have been known to you. I should be very sorry if some good Englishmen were to think that these diseases were due to my fierce opposition, as it must appear in their estimation, to the English Government.” 

His forgiveness flowing from his unbounded compassion was best reflected when he wrote on 1st November 1938, “Who could be more cruel or blood-thirsty than the late Gen. Dyer?Yet the Jallianwala Bagh Congress Inquiry Committee, on my advice, had refused to ask for his prosecution. I had no trace of ill will against him in my heart. I would have also liked to meet him personally and reach his heart, but that was to remain a mere aspiration.” 

In our troubled times marked by revengeful action based on politics, faith or any other factor we need to invoke the bravery of Gandhi manifested in his act forgiving even those whose actions caused massacre.  It was reflective of his higher and elevated consciousness based on non-violence.

Shri Sahu served as OSD and Press Secretary to President of India late Shri K R Narayanan and had a tenure as Director in Prime Minister’s Office and Joint Secretary in Rajya Sabha Secretariat.