QWas the Amritsar Massacre a real event? Was General Dyer really that ruthless?
AYes, the massacre was very real. It took place on April 13, 1919 in the city of Amritsar in the province of Punjab in Northern India. The massacre itself is referred to as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which is the name of the garden where the violence occurred. More info on the event can be read here. From the subsequent investigation and testimony of Dyer himself following the massacre, the Hunter Commission deduced that Dyer had acted in excess of his command. More info on his testimony and the Hunter Commission can be read here.
AThe movie ends as it began. In an attempt to get India's Hindus and Muslims to stop rioting against each other, Gandhi vows to go on a hunger strike until either the violence stops or he dies. As his death draws closer and closer, his friend and advisor Jawaharlal Nehru (Roshan Seth) takes Gandhi's plea to the people to stop the fighting between Hindus and Muslim. Gandhi breaks his fast only when Suhrawardy (Shekhar Chatterjee), the leader of the Muslim uprising, convinces the Muslims to cease rioting and all fighting has stopped. When he grows a bit stronger, Gandhi agrees to address a prayer meeting. As he is led outside by his grandnieces, assassin Nathuram Godse (Harsh Nayyar), steps forward from the crowd and fires three bullets into Gandhi's chest. Gandhi's last words are 'Oh God!' as he falls. The scene then cuts to his funeral at which he is cremated and his ashes are scattered in the waters of the Ganges River. In a voiceover Gandhi says, 'When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murders, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it. Always.'
QWhy did Gandhi walk to the sea to make salt, of all things?
ASalt production in India had been heavily regulated by the British in their rule. As stated in the movie during a British high council meeting, only companies with a special permit were allowed to produce and sell salt in the country. The march to the sea was another of Gandhi's many non-violent protest actions. Interestingly, when the segments of the march were filmed, many people from the regions surrounding the shoot actually joined the production.
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