Outfit threatens stir if demand for Bhagat Singh museum not met

Ferozepur, September 1

Upset over an inordinate delay in setting up a museum dedicated to the Shaheed Bhagat Singh at the old double-story building situated in the city area, the members of Naujawan Bharat Sabha have announced that they would sit on an indefinite dharna in front of the District Administrative Complex from September 26, two days ahead of the 117th birth anniversary of the martyr.

It is pertinent to mention that the old double-story building, situated in the Toori Bazaar area, is believed to be a secret hideout of Bhagat Singh and his accomplices of the ‘Krantikari Party’.

“This building is like a pilgrimage for us. It is this place where Bhagat Singh and his comrades used to plan strategies to gain freedom from the oppressive British Empire,” said Manga Singh, General Secretary Naujawan Bharat Sabha. He added the martyr had even gotten his hair trimmed here.

“We have been raising voice for the last several years that this place should be converted into a museum, and the government needs to set up a library here so that people, especially the younger generations, know about the sacrifices of these freedom fighters and get inspired by them,” said Manga. However, all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears, due to which we have decided to sit on indefinite dharna till the time our demands are met, he added.

He said a delegation of NBS members had met DC Rajesh Dhiman to hand over a memorandum regarding the same. He said, however, that the outfit has not received a satisfactory reply from the state government, adding that because of that, they were left with no choice but to sit on dharna. He said thousands are set to participate in the protest.

NBS members said they would also organise ‘Nukkad Nataks’ to ensure the maximum number of people participate in the protest.

It is pertinent to mention that last year the members of NBS had broken down the locks of this double-story building and removed all the material from the shop situated on the ground floor.

Earlier, after a prolonged battle fought by the local residents over a period of seven decades followed up by a writ petition filed in the High Court by Advocate H C Arora, the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs had declared this building a ‘protected monument’ in December 2015 under the Punjab Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1964. In 2016, the district administration had even served notice to the occupants not to alter the structure or sell the premises. Even the then DC DPS Kharbanda had mooted a proposal to relocate the shop and family occupying the first floor to another location, for which an agreement was also drawn; however, the matter has remained struck up in files.