On April 13, 1919 A.D., the Baisakhi day, about 20000. people assembled for a peaceful meeting in the Jallianwala Bagh at Amritsar to protest against the arrest of their leaders Dr. Saif-ud-Din Kitchlu and Dr. Satya Pal and also against the Rowlatt Act. A large number of people who had come to visit Sri Harmandir Sahib also joined the meeting. Brigadier-General Dyer was seeking an opportunity to teach a lesson to the Indians for flouting the Government orders. He arrived at the Jallianwala Bagh with 500 troops who were ordered to open fire without giving the people a warning to disperse. About 400 innocent people were killed and nearly 1200 were injured. The tragedy is known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

General Dyer had hoped that his action would cool down disturbances not only in the Punjab but also in the whole of India. But his hopes were belied. A wave of horror and anger swept the country from one end to another. The great poet Rabindra Nath Tagore surrendered his title of “SIR” as a measure of protest. The people lost faith in the professions of goodwill by the British Government. After the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, Martial Law was imposed in the whole of the Punjab. The people were tortured by the police. Such actions of the Government increased bitterness between the British and the Indians. The people were not frightened and were not prepared to surrender before the British. On the other hand, their determination to fight against the foreign rule became stronger.