Is Britain to blame for 1919 massacre?
AS A former soldier and a military history enthusiast, I object to the distortion of facts that is allowed to sully the reputation of our Armed Forces, past and present. The centenary of the 1919 Amritsar massacre has again given rise to the flawed accusation that this incident was as a result of British troops firing on Indian protesters, with hundreds killed and more wounded. It is a matter of historical fact that the troops were Sikhs, Gurkhas and Baluchi soldiers, all part of the Indian Army, under the command of a British officer. The official memorials in India still give the impression that the firing was carried out by British troops on a posting to India, rather than Indian troops firing on their own people. Our soldiers of that era have been pilloried for an atrocity that was not of their doing. If India continues to demand an official apology from Britain, perhaps an example can be given whereby India and Pakistan apologise to each other for the million or more lives lost in 1947, when Partition saw Muslims and Hindus attacking each other in the name of religion. We see even today that the reputation of good men can be trashed by self-serving politicians who, like Jeremy Corbyn, appear eager to despise everything this country once stood for. CLIVE NELSON-SINGER, Beare Green, Surrey. THE Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar is being remembered on its 100th anniversary. More than 300 unarmed men, women and children were murdered under the British Raj on the orders of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer. Should Britain apologise? Obviously, as in the case of historical slavery, people today can’t be held responsible for the actions of their forefathers. However, they can recognise the injustice, brutality and hurt caused by past policies and actions. Can Britain apologise for that as we enter new relations with old colonial lands who will be important partners for the future, rather than subservient and conquered subjects? I don’t see why not. DIANE SILVA, Bournemouth, Dorset.