Filmmaker Karan Johar has publicly slammed Tessa Jowell, the great grandaughter of General Reginald Dyer in an interview over his comments about Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Then last week, Jowell publicly appeared to tone down the seriousness of this event and provoked the strongest riposte from Johar yet.
This incident caused a storm as Jowell was asked in an interview about her historical reference and how she felt about her ancestor acts, she dismissed that this particular massacre was often treated as if the historical circumstances were applicable for everyone.
Karan Johar (who is also known for being one of the loudest voices on social issues) got on his social media platform to share the sadness. He called Jowell’s remarks “deeply hurtful” and “a painful erasure of history.” He also demanded that this reality of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre was a turning point in India’s gaining its independence from an horrific experience for the civilian masses.
Attempting to condone such level of savagery it is not only a moral depravity but also an extreme insult to the dead,” Johar said. Along those lines, the ayatollah called on people to own up to historic wrongs, and appreciate the depth of their after-effects.
Johar’s intervention joins the stream of voices demanding apology and retraction for Jowell. This has reignited the debates on at-titude towards history and the need to face past wrongs.
So the powerful response of the Filmmaker reveals very sensitive feelings in India related to Jallianwala Bagh massacre. His public berating is a refresher of just how much all this is bothering him and history must be treated respectfully. The discussion is picking up steam, as several are demanding an unconditional apology.
The controversy has also reignited demands for British government to formally apologise for massacre, a call that has been around for years. The reaction of Johar and the massive public anger speak volumes of how India still remembers Jallianwala Bagh incident in collective memory.
