Chandigarh – Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today demanded a formal apology from the United Kingdom government for the unprovoked firing on unarmed civilians trapped in the walls of the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar 100 years back which led to the massacre of more than 400 people and severe injuries to another one thousand.
Appreciating the unequivocal apology offered by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during his visit to Jallianwala Bagh yesterday, the SAD President said it was high time that the British government apologized for this ghastly act. He said this was the need of the hour when the nation was observing the centenary of the massacre which had left a permanent scar on India’s national psyche. “Indians, particularly Punjabis and the descendents of those who were killed and injured are still carrying the emotional weight of the terrible wrong done to their ancestors. The only way for them to find closure is an unequivocal apology from the British government which should come forth during the centenary year”, Mr Badal said.
The SAD president the Archbishop of Canterbury had made a personal apology by stating he was ashamed as a religious leader and Christian for the killing of peacefully gathered people by the British Indian army led by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer. “This is also the opinion of ordinary citizens of Britain. I think the time has come for the British government to recognize this sentiment and proffer an apology which is already a century overdue”.
