UPSC Articles
Spotlight 28 (Aug): Special program on the renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial inauguration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZOlgZEJIPo
INTERNATIONAL/ SECURITY
- GS-2: Modern History
Jallianwala Bagh memorial
TOPIC: Special program on the renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister who dedicated the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak to the nation.
What’s new at Jallianwala Bagh?
- Four Museum galleries have been created through adaptive reuse of redundant and underutilized buildings.
- The galleries showcase the historical value of events that unfolded in Punjab during that period, with the fusion of audio-visual technology, including projection mapping and 3D representation, as well as art and sculptural installations.
- A Sound and Light show has been set up to display the events that happened on 13th April, 1919.
- Multiple development initiatives have been undertaken at the complex. Elaborate heritage restoration works have been carried out in sync with the local architectural style of Punjab.
- The Shaheedi well has been repaired and restored with a redefined super structure.
- The heart of the Bagh, the flame monument, has been repaired and restored, water body rejuvenated as a lily pond, and the pathways made broader for better navigability.
- Several new and modern amenities have been added, including redefined paths of movement with appropriate signages, illumination of strategic spots, landscaping and hardscaping with native plantation and installation of audio nodes throughout the garden.
- Also, newer areas have been developed for housing the Salvation Ground, Amar Jyot and Flag Mast.
Controversy around the renovation:
- The Jallianwala Bagh has undergone several repairs and touch-ups over the years. But the narrow alley leading to the Bagh had remained untouched for almost 100 years.
- While many other things changed, the constricted entrance made of Nanakshahi bricks, through which Dyer’s soldiers marched into the Bagh, continued to evoke the horrors of that day.
- Last year in July, it was rebuilt into a gallery with murals, leaving no trace of the old alley. It’s this break from the past that has led many to question the latest makeover of the memorial.
- The narrow lane — which was blocked by British soldiers making it impossible for anyone to escape from the Bagh on that horrific day — now has a shiny new floor.
- Besides this, it has been partially covered to keep the birds from sitting on the sculptures. Before and after photos of this lane, shared by a historian, have led to a storm on social media, with some netizens calling the revamp a bid to erase history.
Can you answer this question now?
Critically analyze the renovation of Jallianwala Bagh memorial dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister.
