Politics of Apologies for Jallianwala Bagh and Other Massacres
Ex-colonial countries like India are seeking apologies for colonial era massacres and other atrocities. Yet, these same countries would be well advised to also look at own post-independence record.
Sikh Qaum suffered three massacres in the 20th Century. The first was of Jallianwala Bagh in the holy Sikh city of Amritsar. It took place as a result of colonial Indian army action during Sikh Vaisakhi on 13 April 1919. Like other Sikh sacrifices during the freedom struggle, the vast majority of those killed or wounded at Jallianwala Bagh were Sikhs. Udham Singh who took revenge, was a Sikh. The second was the massacre of 1947 as a result of British decision to partition the Indian sub-continent. Proportionately, the Sikhs suffered most.
The third, which started in June 1984 in independent India, may be regarded as the worst of the three. It started in June 1984 with Indian Army invasion of Panjab and Darbar Sahib and lasted for nearly 10 years in three phases. The first was direct state action in June 1984 the second was state organised mob violence in November 1984 and, the third prolonged phase was state terrorism through extra-judicial torture and killing of thousands of Sikh youth in Panjab in the following ten years. Some also add the slow poisoning of Sikh youth of Panjab with drugs as the fourth phase which continues.
Global Sikhs have a strong case to seek apologies from both, the UK and post-independence India for these atrocities. Other Indian minorities would have own cases for seeking similar apologies.
So, Sikh reaction to India seeking apologies from UK for Jallianwala Bagh Massacre is to support the demand with specific reference to Sikhs and also to ask for unconditional apologies from India for the 1984 genocide. Otherwise, the politics of demands for apologies for colonial massacres only, is readily seen through as nothing more than just that.
About Jallianwala Bagh, the information is that Sikh Federation UK representatives first wrote to Pat McFadden on 23 September 2024 as a senior Cabinet Office Minister and someone familiar with Sikh issues stating an apology was expected (in April 2025) from the Prime Minister to the worldwide Sikh community.
The Federation also wrote to David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary on 23 September 2024 and later on 10 January 2025, along similar lines. It was then noted towards end March 2025 that Bob Blackman, the Conservative MP was []]allegedly] trying to hijack this issue and airbrush out Sikhs knowing the massacre took place on Vaisakhi in Amritsar and by far the largest number of those gathered, killed and injured were from the Sikh minority. Independent MPs are also keeping up pressure for an apology by the Prime Minister. Labour leadership should take credit for an apology that was promised at the 100th anniversary by the Labour leadership
An ex-IAS, K B S Sidhu, wrote on the forums: British governmental responses to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre have followed a pattern of acknowledging wrongdoing while carefully avoiding formal apologies that might create legal liability or set precedents for other colonial atrocities.
Seeking apologies from ex-colonial countries needs to be looked at from many angles. A book by Dr Kartar Lalvani OBE, The Making of India: A Story of British Enterprise, lists the massive benefits of colonial rule.
When seeking apologies, the state of civilisation, own state of development and pre and post-independence human rights record by ex-colonial countries, is also relevant.
Gurmukh Singh OBE
Principal Civil Servant retd (UK)
E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk
Sikh ideology articles: https://www.sikhmissionarysociety.org/