#OTD in 1930, scores of non-violent political activists were massacred in Qissa Khwani Peshawar by the British-Raj.

An account of this massacre based on Allah Baksh Yousafi's weekly newspaper is shared in this thread to understand what led to this massacre & what followed it.

This news report was published just 5 days after the massacre. For those who can't read Urdu, the headline says that more than 200 men butchered in Peshawar by the British Pharoha of NWFP.

Acc. to this, the activists were preparing, under the direction of Congress, to act as

vigilante on the liquor shops as to stop the sale of liquor (under the prohibition campaign of Gandhi) in Peshawar. But govt did a crack down against these activists on the night between 22-23 April and arrested many of them.

Next morning when the news spread about these

arrests, many more activists and general public gathered in the city and the shops remained closed and the city presented a scene as if there was a strike. Activist continued to rally across the city.

The British administration of the city then decided to send in police force

with armored vehicles. These armored cars entered the city and, according to this newspaper, ran over people and crushed some of them. The report says that the engine of the one of the car caught fire by itself and two men who were crushed died in the process.

This angered the

previously non-violent and peaceful crowd and they started to pelt stones on the police cars. By that time, Mr. Metcalfe commissioner Peshawar had arrived on the scene with troops and amid all stone pelting one stone hit the commissioner and slightly injured him.

At this, gates of the city were closed down by the administration and the British-Indian troops (Gurkhas, Dogras, Sikh and British troops) started firing on these activists. According to this account, many activists were shot but none tried to escape rather they step forward and

took off their shirts. But the troops didn't spare them and continued shooting them for 6 long hours.

Troops even stopped people who came to get the dead bodies out of the scene.

After all the shooting for 6 hours, people poured in city to collect bodies of their relatives. Many remained unidentified and they were buried by the same volunteer force.

Dr. Khan Sahib, elder brother Bacha Khan, was present at the Congress office, where he continued to treat the injured. He also went to the commissioner to ask him to allow injured to visit hospitals.

Acc. to this report, the administration took away many dead bodies with them.

Section 144 was imposed in the city (not more than 4 people could gather together) as to counter further protests.

The next day was all spent in burying the dead bodies & tracing those who were took away by the troops. Despite imposition of Section 144 and threat of further

violence by the troops, people took part in the funeral processions in thousands without any fear. Acc. to this report, there was a second incident of firing the night between 24-25th April but the dead bodies were again taken away by the troops.

List of martyrs of Qissa Khwanai.

61 men are listed, some are unidentified including a Sikh and a Hindu. More than 300 were injured and 35 were missing.

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and many other leaders and activists were arrested and sentenced to 3 years Rigorous Imprisonment.

This is supposedly the last list of those killed, wounded and those who went missing in Qissa Khwani massacre, compiled by Congress party.
Acc. to this report,

Killed: 79
Wounded: 57
Missing: 43
-----------------------
Total: 179

via https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2354938068071423&set=pcb.2354952488069981&type=3&theater

Gandhara Hindko Board at least remembered the martyrs. Who else did?