Last day in Amritsar

So its my last day in Amritsar, tomorrow morning I catch a 16 hour train to Lucknow. I was originally planning on catching an overnight to delhi and then a day to lucknow, but didn't want to stay an extra day here (not much else to do) and it also turns out that the overnight train wouldn't have arrived in time for me to catch the next one! Glad I caught that

Anyway, looks like i'm fighting cold number 3 of the season, i'm going to blame this one on Dave and Whin for reasons I do not wish to disclose (they know what i'm talking about) so its sniffles and a sore throat at the moment. Fortunately there are juice bars every 100 meters here, so some overdosing on Vitamin C should do the trick.

Checked out Jallianwala bagh this morning... a brief history lesson:

In 1919, India was still under the rule of the British Raj... soon after WWI some laws Rowlatt Act was passed to allow them to imprison without trial Indians under suspicion of sedition. In protest the people of Amritsar staged a hartal (one day strike). Lt. Governor O'Dwyer had two prominent leaders in the community arrested. This caused an uproar in the community who marched to have them released. The crowd had been fired upon and riots broke out, building had been damaged and 3 British men were killed. Around the same time Mahatma Gandhi had started his non-violence campaign. A meeting was to be held at Jallianwala bagh to discuss how the people of Amritsar could participate in Gandhiji's campaign. O'Dwyer had called in General Dyer to help keep the peace. Dyer hearing of the meeting ordered his soldiers to Jalianwalla Bagh. Troops surrounded the Bagh from above and entered the Bagh surrounding it. Note that the entrance to the Bagh were wide enough for barely two men to walk shoulder by shoulder and with Dyer entering with his soldiers, the only exit out of Jallianwala Bagh was conveniently blocked. The people attending the meeting watched in confusion as the soldiers surrounded them and without any explanation heard Dyer command them to disperse (remember that the only exit was blocked by him) and then give the orders to FIRE! About 20,000 or so were in attendance, men started screaming and running, clawing at the walls (the bagh was actually about 5 feet below street level and surrounded by walls from 5 to 7 feet high). Those who were shot and injured were crushed by the bodies that fell upon them, many jumped into the well, a hundred or so bodies found inside after it was over.

Both Dyer and O'Dwyer were treated as heroes in England, Dyer believed that he had prevented a massive riot from taking place, but in reality caused an event that is seen as a pivotal point of India's fight for Independence. A young man who had been present at the meeting, serving the guests water, had managed to survive. He later made it to England and assasinated O'Dwyer.

Not sure if any of you have seen the movie Gandhi with Ben Kingsley, really a great film to give you just a glimpse into India's history during this time. The Massacre of Jallianwala Bagh is a devestatingly moving moment in the film. It was this scene that was in my head as I walked around the garden and the flame memorial. Pieces of the wall with bullet holes were still up for display. You could also see and look into through the iron fence the well where hundeds of bodies were found, known as Marytr's Well. A small gallery was also created to house portraits of the prominent figures during that time.

As I left Jallianwala Bagh I stepped outside in time to witness what looked like an AIDS Awareness Parade... Or so I assumed as the only signs I could read were the ones that read 'STOP AIDS' in English. All throughout India I know that there has been campaigns to educate the people on birth contol and contraceptives, especially targeting the truck drivers. Away from their familys days at a time, there has been an increase in AIDS within this community including the truck drivers, prostitutes along their routes, and their innocent wives. In a society where talking about sex is often considered tabboo, its good to see parades, billboards, signs on AIDS, family planning, and safe sex....its a reflection of how the country is making an effort to educate its people.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the internet cafe uploading all of my pics (FINALLY!)... if I can go 2 minutes without sneezing or blowing my nose I'm going to attempt to eat at the Temple today and catch the evening ceremony of the Adi Granhtha being taken to its resting place for the night.

alright folks, hope you had a great weekend... more from Lucknow pr Varanasi in a few days

BG

P.S A BIG Birthday shout out to Krissy, Mike and my Samirbhai