Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Amritsar, 1919

NB: This is an account by Gandhiji of his visit to Amritsar just after the announcement of the Hunter Commission of Inquiry into the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919. It relates his experiences of interaction with the people when he visited the Golden Temple in November 1919. Further developments in his negotiation with the administration on the terms of the satyagrahis’ appearance before the Commission (including Gandhi’s own deposition) may be read in subsequent pages of this volume. DS

PUNJAB LETTER LAHORE, Monday, Kartak Vad 11 [November 17, 1919]

Gandhi Heritage Portal; Vol 16, pp 296 – 299

AMRITSAR’S LOVE

From Delhi, I went to Amritsar with Mr. Andrews. What I experienced there was truly unique. It was well-nigh impossible to make our way through the crowds. The entire area outside the station was packed with the citizens of Amritsar. Their cheers and shouts almost overwhelmed me. This huge procession proceeded towards the city. The people filled the car with flowers. I was taken to the mosque, which was thronged with Hindus and Muslims. With great difficulty I made my way from the mosque back to the car, and it was a long time before it reached the Golden Temple of the Sikhs. They call this temple the Durbar Sahib. Its dome and some other parts are gilt and there is a large lake by its side. The adjoining area is also fairly extensive. I found it an impossible feat to cross this open space and reach the main temple.

Thousands stood on all sides. There was no dearth of women. I saw them boldly joining this thick crowd. Yet the men were conducting themselves with the utmost courtesy and restraint. This made me particularly happy. This should not, of course, be any special cause for joy. But I know only too well that this is not the usual state of affairs in India. It is my experience that in such crowds restraint is not always observed. We have read that it is disappearing even from the pilgrim bands which proceed to Dakor. Consequently, I was greatly pleased to see it at Durbar Sahib and I should very much like to see it at every place.

I took it upon myself, in this multitude, to teach discipline for a while. Just as the crowd surged forward I would stop, ask the men and women to be seated and remain so until I reached the Durbar Sahib. As long as I stood before them, they remained sitting, but the minute I began to walk, all would suddenly stand up and try to follow me. I made five or six such attempts. I even walked backwards, but the people could not control themselves. Finally, I decided to go ahead and, by the end of about an hour, I had covered the distance of a few steps. This was obstinacy on the people’s part. They could not repress their affection.

Those who had suffered much washed away their grief with the waters of love. But what about me? How much of this did I deserve? Those who showered their love were of course blessed, but what about the one on whom it was showered? Many women whose relatives were in jail expected, perhaps, that they would be released through my efforts. But who was I to secure their release? All I can say is that I offer all this love at the feet of the Lord in whose name I serve.

When I had paid my respects at the shrine, I was presented with a scarf and turban; I tied the turban over my cap and put the scarf round my neck. It was no less difficult to go out of the temple than it had been to enter it. This going and coming in a procession took five hours. Yet the people were not satisfied. I was taken to Lala Girdhari Lal’s. Thousands remained round the house till six in the evening and I had repeatedly to go out to meet them. Both men and women came. The people of Amritsar say that never before had women come out in such large numbers. They refused to disperse without upadesh. “Let us have upadesh” is a phrase in common use here. I tried to comfort the women in their sorrow and encouraged them to abandon fear. I requested them not to grieve for those who were in jail and told them that, as long as we did not have thousands of Indians courting the hardships of jail deliberately, we could not make progress. I then advised them to use only swadeshi and suggested that they should spin every day, for some time at least, as a religious duty.

FLOOD OF ENERGY

These were solemn scenes. Just as the Americans get energy from the Niagara Falls for their use, so can we also make use of the energy which exists at Amritsar and other places. Today this energy flows to waste like that of a waterfall. But it can be turned to valuable use. Patriotic pride has been awakened in the hearts of thousands of men and women. They realize, too, that this patriotism should be informed with the spirit of dharma. They have time, but no discipline, no knowledge, nor have they the zeal and diligence which will endure. Even more than reading and writing, they require the knowledge that touches the heart and the diligence that such knowledge brings. In real fact, however, there is a vast gap between the educated and the people generally regarded as illiterate.

There were educated people, too, in this procession. They also were proud of their country. But their way of life differs from that of the illiterate and they believe that, until the latter are given education, the country can make no progress. But, for the uplift of the nation, nothing more is required than love for one’s country and readiness to serve her or, in other words, a spiritual awakening. A spiritual awakening means devotion to duty. If each individual understands his present duty and performs it, the next duty will of itself become clear to him.

Today’s duty is this:

(1) to fear no man;

(2) to follow the truth always;

(3) to follow the swadeshi dharma for fighting starvation in the country;

(4) that this dharma may be easily followed, to introduce the spinning-wheel into our homes, help in increasing the production of hand-made cloth and to wear garments made of it. One who fears God will never fear man; hence he will not fear the Government or kings or officers. And who can frighten him who has no fear? None can rule over such a one by force. The Government and similar embodiments of authority will then realize their true functions and prove a beneficial power for subjects who are unafraid. The State’s power of punishing is an instrument of fear. When the subjects have abandoned fear, this instrument loses its effectiveness. This fearlessness can be cultivated only through irreproachable conduct and such purity of conduct is impossible without truth. Thus, practice of truth is the only gateway to our freedom.

Every year we send 60 crores of rupees abroad for our cloth. That is why we need swadeshi. It can spread rapidly only through the spinning-wheel and the handloom. The wheel and the loom, therefore, hold the key to our developing a trade worth 60 crores.

There can be no fearlessness without truth and no wealth without swadeshi. Swaraj, therefore, lies in the practice of these two. If we have the right kind of workers, these two ideas can be taught to the people in no time. In the villages where such workers exist, a beginning should be made to teach these two principles. For this no large buildings or funds are required. What is necessary is zeal and sincerity of purpose. These thoughts come repeatedly to me after my experiences at Lahore and Amritsar. I present them here to my readers.

IN LAHORE

We stayed for a day in Amritsar and then came to Lahore. There was much to be done here. Both the Pandits were still away – Motilalji in Prayag and Malaviyaji in Delhi. I therefore busied myself in doing all I could about the evidence to be presented. I also wrote a letter to the Lt.-Governor reminding him that two of the three conditions were yet to be fulfilled.

TWO CONDITIONS The first was that one of the judges who are to review the cases tried in the summary courts should be from outside the Punjab. The second was that the leaders who are in jail should be released during the time that the Committee sat. Explaining the reasons for this condition, I said that without them evidence could not be properly presented. Even their temporary release would give the people courage to give evidence and create faith in the Government’s bona fides…

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