Mike Hedges AM calls on Welsh Government to urge UK Government to apologise for Amritsar Massacre

Mike Hedges AM calls on Welsh Government to urge UK Government to apologise for Amritsar Massacre

Mike Hedges AM has joined other AM’s in calling for the Welsh Government to urge the UK government to apologise for one of the most infamous episodes in the history of the British Empire – the killing of hundreds of Indian citizens in Amritsar in April 1919. Speaking during the Assembly Recess, Swansea East AM Mike Hedges said….. It is important that we remember our history; it is not just about remembering the good, we must also remember the bad. The massacre of innocent civilians by General Dyer and his soldiers was a day of shame for the Empire and it remains a stain on the relations between the UK and India. The 100^th Anniversary of the massacre would be a good opportunity to being to right the wrong of that day through the UK Government offering an apology for the events of that day. Apologising can be part of a healing process over an event which is still talked about by Hindu and Sikh families in my constituency.

Statement of opinion OPIN-2019-0126

This Assembly:

1. Notes the 100th anniversary of the Amritsar Massacre (also known as the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre) on the 13th April 1919 in which troops of the British Indian Army opened fire on a peaceful crowd in the Jallianwala Bagh Gardens of Amritsar, Punjab.

2. Deeply regrets the tragic loss of life during the atrocity and the adverse impact of the event on British-Indian relations.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to urge the UK Government to take the opportunity afforded by the centenary to issue a formal apology for this shameful event in British history.