In a unique tribute to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh carnage on the centenary commemoration of the tragic event, the government of Punjab is planning to build a memorial in Amritsar with the soil from 13,000 villages in the state.
An official note issued by the Chief Minister's office stated that the Rural Development & Panchayats have been designated as the nodal department to coordinate with the villages Panchayats all across Punjab for this noble cause.
The Chief Minister, Capt. Amarinder Singh has urged Amritsar Deputy Commissioner to recognize a strategic spot in the city where the memorial could be constructed with soil brought from all the villages. He also asked the Cultural Affairs and Tourism Department to get involved with the Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust, which had made the Partition Museum at Town Hall in Amritsar to conceptualize and plan the monument.
The official note further said, "The CM has urged the Principal Secretary Cultural Affairs to coordinate with all the related departments to ensure a grand function at Amritsar on 13th April, 2019. Capt. Amarinder has also directed the ACS Home to make detailed security arrangements to ensure hassle-free access to the public for paying respects to the martyrs at the Memorial. He said the devotees visiting Sri Darbar Sahib must not be put to any type of inconvenience caused during the centenary commemorations”.
Besides building the memorial, Punjab CM suggested that the School Education Department should include a chapter in its syllabus on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in order to "imbibe the spirit of nationalism and patriotism amongst the students." Capt. Amarinder also asked the ACS Higher Education and Secretary School Education to conduct seminars, symposiums, declamation contests & panel discussions on the different aspects of the tragedy.
