The year was 1919. The Indian freedom struggle was at its peak, while the colonial masters left no stone unturned to curb the rising spirit of nationalism. On 13 April that year, the festival of Baisakhi in Punjab took a violent turn after British Acting Brigadier General Reginald Dyer opened fire on an unarmed crowd.
British Acting Brigadier General Reginald Dyer was convinced that under the garb of the Baisakhi celebrations, Indians would unfurl a major protest against the colonial rule and its draconian Rowlatt Act. He had banned all public meetings, but the notice was not disseminated far and wide. Unknown to this proclamation, a large crowd had gathered in the enclosed garden – Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab.