Tribune News Service
Amritsar, August 14
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today inaugurated the Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial, built at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore and spread over 1.5 acres, at Anand Amrit park in Ranjeet Avenue area, where a hand grenade was found yesterday.
Kick-starting his two-day visit to Amritsar, the Chief Minister inaugurated a slew of projects and visited Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) and Government Medical College (GMC).
On the eve of 75th Independence Day, the Chief Minister inaugurated the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial Park in memory of those martyred in the massacre of April 13, 1919.
Bears 488 names
- A team of historians had been constituted for research on martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh and freedom fighters imprisoned at Port Blair jail
- Names of more martyrs, if discovered, would be added to black and grey granite stone walls of the memorial, which currently bear 488 names
On the need of raising a second memorial to the massacre, Captain Amarinder said earth from villages and localities of 488 martyrs was collected and brought to sanctify the memorial. Although, the then Deputy Commissioner had gone on record to state 1,250 bullets were fired, the CM said, it meant the exact number might have been higher.
The Chief Minister said a special team of historians and research scholars had been constituted by the GNDU for carrying out research on martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh and freedom fighters imprisoned at Cellular Jail, Port Blair.
Once the research was over, the names of more martyrs might be discovered, he said, adding sufficient space had been kept on the columns of the memorial to incorporate more names in the future.
Currently, the names of the officially known 488 martyrs had been inscribed on the black and grey granite stone walls of the memorial.
The Chief Minister felicitated 29 family members of the Jallianwala Bagh martyrs and posed for a group photograph with them. He appreciated the mural designed by a Bengali artist, Moloy Ghosh, portraying the massacre.
Bears 488 names
* A team of historians had been constituted for research on martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh and freedom fighters imprisoned at Port Blair jail
* Names of more martyrs, if discovered, would be added to black and grey granite stone walls of the memorial, which currently bear 488 names
2nd Jallianwala Bagh memorial unveiled
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