More than a thousand unarmed protestors (please do not go by number of 379 peddled by Britishers) were gunned down on April 13, 1919 at Amritsar's Jalianwala Bagh.

The massacre shaped the Indian freedom movement.

Mahatma Gandhi managed to galvanise Indians to launch Non-Cooperation movement, the first organised country-wide protest against the Britishers, majorly due to anger generated following the massacre.

The massacre wrote the destiny of youngsters like Udham Singh, Bhagat Singh, Bismil, Ashfaqullaa Khan and Azad and they attained Shahadat for the country, motivating thousands of others and even now they continue to motivate us.

But 103 years down the line, the question remains whether Britain should formally apologise for the massacre.

There have been demands from Indians and British Prime Minister David Cameron on a visit to the Bagh in 2013 described it as a 'deeply shameful event in British history'. But Britain is yet to offer formal applogy for it.

But why do we need apology from Britain?

Is it going to heal the scars left by British colonialists on Indian subcontinent during their murderous and blood-thirsty rule?

Jalianwala Bagh is an open wound for Indians and it will remain so, a reminder of what Indians went through the British Raj. Any apology for massacre from Britain is too meaningless and its not going to change anything.

It is a reminder for current generation to understand what it mean to be free and how hard-fought our freedom was.

75 years after getting freedom from the Britishers, when I see the space for freedom of expression shrinking due to growing intolerance or systematic dismantling of democratic institutions by our politicians (all parties are to be blamed equally for this), Jalianwala Bagh massacre provides a stark reminder to those who do not raise voice against it.

Pash wrote -

सबसे ख़तरनाक होता है मुर्दा शांति से भर जाना

तड़प का न होना

सब कुछ सहन कर जाना

घर से निकलना काम पर

और काम से लौटकर घर आना

सबसे ख़तरनाक होता है

हमारे सपनों का मर जाना

Jalianwala Bagh will keep on reminding Indians not to let their dreams die, and to remain free..