Source: NY Times.
By GARDINER HARRIS
NEW DELHI – Britain’s prime minister laid a wreath at the site of a notorious 1919 massacre that cost the lives of hundreds of Indians and has long been seen as one of the British Empire’s most shameful episodes.
David Cameron was the first serving prime minister to voice regret about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, although Queen Elizabeth made a similar appearance in 1997 that at the time caused an outpouring of pained reflections about India’s colonial history under Britain. Mr. Cameron’s trip, perhaps because it is his third one here or because Britain’s role in India has become relatively less important, has caused far less comment and consternation.
“This was a deeply shameful event in British history – one that Winston Churchill rightly described at that time as monstrous,” Mr. Cameron wrote in the visitor’s notebook at the pink granite memorial.
Mr.David Cameron thanks for regretting and feeling shame on the killings of innocent human beings by the British Armies in jalialwalbagh India. Now the British Government should without hasitations do some practical steps in form of compansating and releving the effected genrations, by doing this may be there will be a restoration of respect and dignity of Indians and of humanbeings in General.
When you are in power, everything seems right!
Only the ones who are affected can feel the pain.
It is a good start on behalf of England to acknowledge atrocities committed during the colonial era. The world is changing and rising economies in Asian nations are being recognized as future prospect for business opportunities. It is all business, that is driving the need for reconciliation.
On the other hand, globalization and information age has empowered ordinary people to really rediscover their identities and are making them more socially adept and aware of their place in the world. The world is also recognizing their new purchase power.
Regarding financial retribution, in 2002, Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, a NY researcher sued on behalf of all African American slaves – three large corporations in US. One of the companies was in the Banking industry and the other one in transportation. The lawsuit claimed that those three companies were “unjustly enriched” by “a system that enslaved, tortured, starved and exploited human beings.” The suit may have been just symbolic and did not result in any newsworthy outcome.
For now, we will take the apology..
two hands of British, with one they use to give wound and with other they heal it.