Rowlatt Act (1919)
- In 1917, a committee was set up under the presidentship of Sir Sydney Rowlatt to look into the militant Nationalist activities.
- On the basis of its report the Rowlatt act was passes in March 1919 by the central legislative council.
- As per this Act, any person could be arrested on the basis of suspicion.
- No appeal or petition could be led against such arrests.
- This act was called the Black act and it was widely opposed.
- An all- India hartal was organized on 6 April 1919.
- Meetings were held all over the country.
- Mahatma Gandhi was arrested near Delhi.
- Two prominent leaders of Punjab, Dr Satya Pal and Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew, were arrested in Amritsar.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April, 1919)
- The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place on 13 April 1919 and it remained a turning point in the history of India’s freedom movement.
- In Punjab, there was an unprecedented support to the Rowlatt Satyagraha.
- Facing a violent simulation, the government of Punjab handed over the administration to the military authorities under General Dyer.
- He banned all public meetings and detained the political leaders.
- On 13th April, the Baisakhi day (harvest festival), a public meeting was organized at the Jallianwala Bagh (garden).
- Dyer marched in and without any warning opened fire on the crowd.
- The firing continued for about 10 to 15 minutes and it stopped only after the ammunition exhausted.
- According to official report 379 people were killed and 1137 wounded in the incident.
- There was a nation wide protest against this massacre and Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood as a protest.
- The Jallianwala Bagh massacre gave a tremendous impetus to the freedom struggle.