Jallianwala Bagh By Jadhav Amey

इंग्रजांच्या विरोधात पंजाबात १९०७मध्ये घडून आलेली ‘पगडी संभाल जट्टा` चळवळ आणि १९१४मधील गदर उत्थान चळवळ यामुळे इंग्रज सरकारने सुरू केलेली दडपशाही... त्यामुळे पेटून उठलेली पंजाबी जनता... ब्रिटिशांनी लागू केलेला रौलट कायदा, ज्यानुसार सरकारने राज्यकत्र्यांना मनमानी कामकाज करण्याचा दिलेला परवाना... त्याची परिणती म्हणून १३ एप्रिल, १९१९ या दिवशी ब्रिटिश सरकारने जालियनवाला बागेत बैसाखी निमित्त जमलेल्या शीख समुदायावर केलेला बेछूट गोळीबार... या गोळीबारातून वाचलेला एक विशीचा तरुण राम मोहम्मद सिंग आझाद... या हत्याकांडाचा सूड घेण्याची त्याने घेतलेली शपथ... मार्गात आलेल्या अनेक अडचणींना तोंड देत या शपथेच्या मार्गाने सुरू राहिलेली त्याची वाटचाल... या हत्याकांडास जबाबदार असणाऱ्या अधिकाऱ्यास या ध्येयवेड्याने लंडनमध्ये जाऊन दिलेले देहान्त शासन... एका स्वातंत्र्यवीराची धगधगती कहाणी ‘TREAT ALL FAIRLY, OR THEY WILL SEEK REVENGE.’ A GREAT WORDS FROM CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI FORMS THE BASELINE FOR THE NOVEL. THE NOVEL IS BASICALLY A HISTORICAL EVENTS BASED REVENGE STORY, BUT DON’T GET MISUNDERSTOOD OVER HERE. IT IS NOT A PERSONAL REVENGE STORY, IT IS A NATIONAL REVENGE STORY. WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE ARE LIVING IN A COUNTRY WHOSE HISTORICAL HERITAGE HAS ENRICHED WITH NUMBER OF STORIES AND THE PLOT OF NOVEL IS ONE OF THESE STORIES. WE ALL KNOW THE BLOODY CARNAGE HAPPENED AT JALIANWALABAGH. 13 APRIL, 1919 WAS THAT STAR CROSSED DAY. GENERAL DYER HAS SET UP FIRING ON NUMBERS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO HAD GATHERED UP IN JALIANWALABAGH. BUT WHAT WAS THE REASON BEHIND THIS CARNAGE? WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED OVER THERE? DOES THIS INCIDENT IS LIMITED FOR THIS CARNAGE ONLY? OR THERE ARE MANY INCIDENTS WHICH LEADS TO THIS BLOODSHED AND FURTHER MORE HAPPENINGS? DOES THIS STORY ENDS WITH MASSACRE? THE NOVEL GIVES ANSWER FOR THESE QUESTIONS. THIS IS A STORY OF IDEALIST WHO HAS TAKEN OATH TO AVENGE THIS INHUMAN TREATMENT GIVEN TO INDIANS. THIS IS A STORY OF A CONTUMACIOUS HERO WHO NEVER LOSE HOPE.