The Founders Award at the 9th Asian Awards was presented in honour of the Martyrs of Jalianwala Bagh — the hundreds of unarmed civilians who were killed on 13th April 1919 when British troops under General Reginald Dyer opened fire on a peaceful gathering in Amritsar, Punjab.
The massacre — in which between 379 and over 1,000 people were killed and more than 1,200 wounded — remains one of the most tragic events in the history of the Indian subcontinent and a defining moment in the struggle for Indian independence.
The Asian Awards recognised the martyrs in the centenary year of the massacre — 2019 — as an act of remembrance, respect and solidarity. The award acknowledged the immense sacrifice of those who gave their lives and the profound role the Amritsar massacre played in galvanising the movement for Indian independence.
It was a powerful and moving tribute — a reminder that the story of Asian excellence and resilience is also a story of those who suffered, resisted and sacrificed so that future generations could live in freedom.