The British government and the Crown are good at self adulation by saying the Empire introduced the democratic process in India and other colonies. You may set it aside as a sort of blatant lie or a pigment of their imagination. Prior to the famous Jallianwala Bagh massacre in April 1909 presided over by Brig. Gen, Reginald Dyer. Incidentally, the Crown did not take any action on Dyer and money was collected privately in 1909 to honor his role in Amritsar. He was called ''the savior of women''
Several senior British military officials committed mass killings of Indian natives on the Indian soil to save the face of the British empire and many of them were commemorated in public places for their valor and patriotic zeal. One among them was Brig. Gen. George James Neil of EIC 's Madras Army who was nick named the Butcher of Allahabad. His role in 1857- first rebellion against the English company was a controversial one.
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| Statue of Brig. Neil, Wellington sq. gardens. Scotland |
upload.wikimedia.org
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Brig.Gen. James Scotland, UK warmemorialsonline.org.uk |
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| Brig. Gen. James Scotland, UKnationalgalleries.org |
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| Brig. Neil's statue, Scotlandupload.wikimedia.org |
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| Brig. Neil's statue, Scotland, Plaque commons.wikimedia.org |
Above images: Sculpture of Brigadier George James Neil, Wellington square gardens, adjacent to the WW1 & WW2 Civic Memorial, Ayr, Scotland on a granite pedestal and three stage granite base (rectangular plan plinth). The name of the sculptor sculptor Matthew Noble is at the base of the figure, on the front side, and of the foundry in the same position on the rear face. The lettering is leaded. On the front face (facing west) of the top base there is a bronze panel (bottom image), depicting scenes from the Siege; a pulvinated bronze band and surmounting bronze figure (created in 1860). Robinson and Cottam (Founder / Foundry), unveiled in 1859.
Inscription on the memorial in Wellington Square, Ayr.
The rank and precedence of the wife of a K.C.B. was given to his widow, and memorials were erected in Lucknow and at Ayr. A memorial at the Residency, Lucknow reads: "Sacred to the memory of Brigadier General J.G.S. Neill A.D.C. to the Queen. Col J.L. Stephenson c.o. Major S.G.C. Renaud Lieut. W.G. Groom. Lieut N.H. Arnold. Lieut A.A. Richardson. Lieut J.A. Chisholm Lieut F. Dobbs 352 non-commissioned officers, drummers and rank and file of the First Madras Fusiliers who fell during the suppression of the rebellion in Bengal 1857-58."(?
A campaign for the removal of the Brigadier-General James Neill statue in Wellington Square, Ayr organized in 2020, as Neil's inhuman and discriminatory military actions in India offended the present generation of Scotts.
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| James Neil's statue over 10 feet tall. royalcollection.org |
Above image: Chennai (Madras) -10 ft tall B
ronze statue of Brig. Gen. James Neill, in Madras (now Chennai). It was Acquired by King Edward VII when he was Prince of Wales. Removed from the public place to the local Museum in 1960. No Indian wants this statue of Neil in Chennai who committed mass killing in India in 1857..........
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