Archbishop of Canterbury prostrates over 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre
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Britain has never apologised for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre at Amritsar in India but the head of the Church of England prostrated himself to say sorry in a personal capacity and "in the name of Christ".
Read: India, Britain mark centenary of Jallianwala Bagh massacre
British troops fired on thousands of unarmed men, women and children in Amritsar on April 13, 1919, killing 379 people according to colonial-era records. Indian figures put the total closer to 1,000.
"I can't speak for the British Government as I am not an official of the British Government. But I can speak in the name of Christ," Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said as he visited the location in northern India on Tuesday.
"I am so ashamed and sorry for the impact of the crime committed. I am a religious leader, not a politician. As a religious leader, I mourn the tragedy we see here," he added at the site.
On Facebook he added that his visit aroused "a sense of profound shame at what happened in this place. It is one of a number of deep stains on British history. The pain and grief that has transcended the generations since must never be dismissed or denied".
The event 100 years ago marked a nadir in Britain's occupation of India, and served to boost Indian nationalism and harden support for independence.
In 1997, Britain's queen laid a wreath at a site during a tour of India. But her gaffe-prone husband Prince Philip stole the headlines by reportedly saying that the Indian estimates for the death count were "vastly exaggerated".
In 2013, David Cameron became the first serving British prime minister to visit Jallianwala Bagh. He described the episode as "deeply shameful" but stopped short of a public apology.
Ahead of centenary commemorations earlier this year, Cameron's since-resigned successor Theresa May told parliament that Britain "deeply regretted what happened and the suffering caused". But she too didn't say sorry.
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On DawnNews
Comments (49) Closed
Sep 11, 2019 01:15pm
I think no India Pakistan discussion here
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Sep 11, 2019 01:17pm
It would not bring any relief to those children who were taken out in such a brutal way .
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Sep 11, 2019 01:20pm
Life is a precious gift.
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Sep 11, 2019 01:22pm
A crime is crime irrespective of year 2019 or 1919..!
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Sep 11, 2019 01:23pm
And these Britishers preach us as well as the world lectures on human rights violations.
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Sep 11, 2019 01:39pm
As this regrettable act was done by political figures, the political leaders of Britain including Queen and the Prime Minister must apologize for this.
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Sep 11, 2019 01:50pm
Pmik also condemned it seriously and was the first to demand public apology. A true leader
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Sep 11, 2019 01:51pm
What a paradox: Indians know how important freedom is but refuses the Kashmiris the same freedom. The massacres in Kashmir are more brutal and more far reaching in nature than Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
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Sep 11, 2019 02:13pm
India's economy during Mughals 24% of the world. Post England India divided into three economy less than 5%.
Shahi Tharoor
Thank you England for the nice gesture hopefully they can do the same for 25 million desis died due to famine and food was taken to England for the rainy days for English people. Kashmir all started by England.
I love England but no love to colonist mindset.
IndoPak Blood Brothers 4 Life!
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Sep 11, 2019 02:25pm
Appreciate his act.
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Sep 11, 2019 02:48pm
The usual method of western show!
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Sep 11, 2019 03:11pm
Queen of England has not apologized yet, she refused to.
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Sep 11, 2019 03:21pm
Never too late to admit a mistake and say sorry .
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Sep 11, 2019 03:25pm
This wrong can only be corrected when official British historical archives are corrected.
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Sep 11, 2019 04:00pm
With due respect to the Archbishop, repentance is good but steps should also be taken to put a stop to such activities that are being practiced in the world toady. What is past is past and cannot be amended, but please Sir, raise your voice against violence in Indian occupied Kashmir, Palestine, Rohingya's of Myanmar and the likes.
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Sep 11, 2019 04:07pm
@Sanjay, Well you started it already by mentioning.
The past act of the British condemned by India is same as they themselves are committing today in occupied Jummu and Kashmir. After a century, should we expect to witness same repentance from a hindutva follower.
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Sep 11, 2019 04:09pm
What about the rest of the stuff he said about TOLERANCE in India??
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Sep 11, 2019 04:42pm
Too little too late. Only one hundred years later an apology now that India is fast becoming a world super power perhaps?
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Sep 11, 2019 04:44pm
Mr. Bishop you are a great man otherwise nobody would even think about it, being apologetic is far cry. Whatever happened is a past now but to repent and save the old guilt what British Government can do is to stand with muslims of Kashmir who are again the victims of same level of atrosities. You can ask the government payback this way.
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Sep 11, 2019 04:48pm
@Sanjay, why would you even bring that up?
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Sep 11, 2019 04:50pm
My grandfather as a young boy was present at the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It was so traumatic for him that as an old man in his 80s he could not forget it and used to tell us about it. The sad thing is after so many years the Indian government is doing the same thing to Kashmiris what the British did to us. No one has learnt a lesson.
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Sep 11, 2019 05:00pm
Udham Singh later shot & killed the main planner Michael O'Dwyer in London, as he is thought of person who gave go ahead to Brig. Gen. Harry Dyer, called the Butcher of Amritsar, to open fire without warning on unarmed people. The place had only one Exit that was blocked by Dyer so no one can escape. Many people did not know of Dyer's ban on public congregations. While Churchill is quoted as condemning the act, the House of Lord's gave Dyer a sword saying Savior of Punjab.
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Sep 11, 2019 05:05pm
British has a history and barbarism against the innocent Indian under it's rule.
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Sep 11, 2019 05:10pm
What were they doing since last 100 years? A perfect and ideal example of " too little, too late.
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Sep 11, 2019 05:12pm
Too little too late
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Sep 11, 2019 05:15pm
A very humane and precious gesture by the Honorable Archbishop.
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Sep 11, 2019 05:57pm
How may places will they apologize if they started doing this on state level? It will be Queen's full time job.
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Sep 11, 2019 06:33pm
@Shah, Because they say JK king signed merger with India and it is land of Indian kashmiri hindus.
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Sep 11, 2019 06:34pm
@Imtiaz Ali Khan, India’s economy is 7%. The quarterly GDP is 5%, only after completion of year will one know if it increases or decreases
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Sep 11, 2019 06:50pm
@Shah, The massacres of Arab invasion centuries ago were a lot more brutal. What peace has it brought to the region now?
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Sep 11, 2019 06:53pm
They must apologize and give visa free entry to everyone from Hindustan Pakistan and Bangladesh
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Sep 11, 2019 07:02pm
What about charges on British gov who did this brutal killing of innocent people.
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Sep 11, 2019 07:07pm
Kashmiris in IOK are dieing now and he is prostating over incident 100 years ago.
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Sep 11, 2019 07:07pm
@Kumar(Varanasi), And it is still happening in IOK now.
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Sep 11, 2019 07:32pm
Who would prostrate for the killing of Palestinians and Kashmiris ?
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Sep 11, 2019 07:38pm
Too little too late. In case he doesn’t realize we live in a world where state and religion is separate. He may feel individual remorse but will he lecture the queen or PM to apologize as well? This was just one incidence, what about many others such as murder of Bhagat Singh, Bahudar Shah Zafar and his sons, etc. All the British ever did was pillage, plundered, raped, looted, murdered the population of every place they invaded or as they like to call it ‘discovered’
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Sep 11, 2019 07:42pm
Stand up! Stop the theatrics! Try being a man...
Gordon D. Walker
Canada
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Sep 11, 2019 07:53pm
Well, India has a history of foreign invasions and illegal occupation. I believe India has woken up now and started taking back what is rightfully theirs.
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Sep 11, 2019 08:11pm
All the soldiers who carried out this massacre at the orders of General Dyer were themselves INDIANS. A similar oppression is taking place in Indian occupied Kashmir today. Sadly this is how the world works.
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Sep 11, 2019 08:29pm
How insulting... How presumptive... Outrageous drama...
Gordon D. Walker
Canada
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Sep 11, 2019 08:46pm
- Wrong is wrong, does not matter, who commits it
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Sep 11, 2019 08:52pm
Commendable gesture!
1 Life Lost = Humanity Lost
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Sep 11, 2019 09:05pm
The Almighty must be sickened by this dramatic nonsense...
Gordon D. Walker
Canada
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Sep 11, 2019 10:00pm
There is no business like show business...
Gordon D. Walker
Canada
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Sep 11, 2019 10:49pm
who knew brexit could be this hard on the british?
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Sep 11, 2019 10:56pm
India learn from this and relent all your massacres in Kashmir since 1989.
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Sep 11, 2019 11:00pm
Meanwhile Indians do the same in Kashmir.
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Sep 11, 2019 11:49pm
Archbishop, it's not your apology to make. Just like 9/11 is not for me to apologize for.
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Sep 12, 2019 12:49am
Outrageous... Preposterous... As if this guy could apologize for the infamy and murderous
history of the British!
Gordon D. Walker
Canada
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