By P.R. Pradhan

The state-organized terror in Tinkune on March 28 recalls the Jallianwala Bagh massacre that the security personnel used massive force to suppress the peaceful assembly organized by the Joint People’s Movement for Restoration of the Monarchy. The police were seen opening fire by blocking roads from all sides was a planned move to defame the demonstrators and suppress the demands lauded by them.

The government is not in a mood to form a judicial inquiry commission on the Tinkune terror, whereas, it is constituting such committees even on different minor incidents. It makes clear that the government is directly involved in provoking demonstrators.

Video footage released through social networks clearly recorded those involved in putting fire on vehicles parked at the Jadubuti premises but the security personnel have not arrested them, on the other hand, the security personnel have arrested those involved in looting at the Bhatbhateni Store.

Pushpakamal Dahal, addressing the pro-republican gathering at Bhrukutimandap lambasted firing and killing at Tinkune even before the incident had taken place.

Evidence indicates there was infiltration of the anti-monarchy groups and perhaps the penetration of the security personnel to terrorize and suppress the situation.     

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre:

According to Wikipedia, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919. A large crowd had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab, British India, during the annual Baisakhi fair to protest against the Rowlatt Act and the arrest of pro-Indian independence activists Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal. In response to the public gathering, the temporary brigadier general R. E. H. Dyer surrounded the people with his Gurkha and Sikh infantry regiments of the British Indian Army.

The Jallianwala Bagh could only be exited on one side, as its other three sides were enclosed by buildings. After blocking the exit with his troops, Dyer ordered them to shoot at the crowd, continuing to fire even as the protestors tried to flee. The troops kept on firing until their ammunition was low and they were ordered to stop. Estimates of those killed vary from 379 to 1,500 or more people; over 1,200 others were injured, of whom 192 sustained serious injury. Britain has never formally apologised for the massacre but expressed "deep regret" in 2019.

The massacre caused a re-evaluation by the Imperial British military of its role when confronted with civilians to use "minimal force whenever possible" (although the British Army was not directly involved in the massacre; the British Indian Army was a separate organisation). However, in the light of later British military actions during the Mau Mau rebellion in the Kenya Colony, historian Huw Bennett has pointed out that this new policy was not always followed. The army was retrained with less violent tactics for crowd control.