Controversy surrounds parallel Jallianwala Bagh memorial: Misguided decision or political rivalry?

AMRITSAR: Six years after its inauguration, the ‘parallel’ Jallianwala Bagh Memorial remains a puzzle as questions are being asked about why it was erected. Was it the pride or ego of the then-Congress govt that built it, or a misplaced need to rewrite what was already etched in stone?
Ahead of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre anniversary, Tarlochan Singh, former Member of Parliament (MP) and one of the trustees of the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust, censured the need for the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial, given the existence of the original Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial.

He said that he opposed the decision and advised against its construction. “A parallel memorial lacks historical evidence or appeal,” he said while predicting that the Centenary Memorial would fade into obscurity over time.
“It was a misguided decision by then-chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh,” he added.
Notably, Amarinder, on January 25, 2021, laid the foundation stone of the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial in the Rose Garden situated in Ranjit Avenue. The parallel memorial was inaugurated on August 14, 2021. It was then pleaded that the second memorial was a tribute to all those unknown martyrs who laid down their lives during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, while the original memorial was built to remember those who were known to be killed at the site in this tragedy.
Noted social activist Pawan Sharma criticised the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial as a byproduct of political rivalry, calling it a flawed decision by the then-Congress govt. He argued that it has sown confusion and distorted history, given that the original Jallianwala Bagh Memorial already stands in the walled city.
“The memorial is poorly maintained—electrical wiring and lights are either stolen or damaged, slabs bearing martyrs’ names are broken. The lack of upkeep is deeply embarrassing,” he said.
Peeved at the parallel memorial, Jallianwala Bagh Freedom Fighters Foundation President Sunil Kapoor said that tourists often visit the new memorial, intrigued by its history and eager to take photos, only to feel let down upon learning it lacks historical evidence, unlike the original site. “The true Jallianwala Bagh needs no rival—history isn’t a contest. Why divide the martyrs’ memory?” he questioned.