Keeping alive the memories of martyrs
By Rameshwar Mehta

THE stretch of highway between Nawanshahr and Banga is dedicated to the memory of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and is named Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Marg. Decorative sign boards on the either side of the road are on display. On this road at a distance of 100 km from Chandigarh lies Khatkar Kalan, a village which has the proud privilege of being the birthplace of a family of revolutionaries who laid down their lives so that their countrymen may live in the ‘glow’ of freedom. Bhagat Singh was born in this family and became a household word countrywide. He ignited the revolutionary spirit among his countrymen to cause the downfall of British Imperialism in India, kissed the gallows together with Rajguru and Sukhdev on the March 23, 1931, in Lahore Jail.

As a commemorative tribute to this great son of Punjab and his compatriots who had raised the banner of revolt against British Raj, the Government of Punjab erected a museum at Khatkar Kalan on March 23, 1981, being the 50th martyrdom anniversary of Bhagat Singh.

Outside the museum building in the front court-yard,there is a life size statue of Bhagat Singh with raised arm and clenched fists in a slogan shouting posture as if saying: Down with imperialism inqulab zindabad, I felt electrified. Bowed to the statue and marched to the gate of the Museum where my eyes met with the lines: Shaheedon ki chitaon par lagenge har baras mele: Vatan pe mitney walon ka yehe baaki nishan hoga.

I entered the Museum and came to the brass statues of Bhagat Singh,Rajguru and Sukhdev placed in a trimurti style with the inscription on the pedestal base, Ho farishtey bhi fida jin par yeh woh insaan hein.

I was struck with reverence, turned towards the portrait gallery displaying the martyrs’ family photographs. Right from his grandfather and grandmother to his father Kishan Singh and uncle Ajit Singh who served in jails at Lahore and Mandlay for the cause of motherland. It is said that the grandmother of Bhagat Singh used to call him Bhaganwala because the news of release of his father and uncle from jail had coincided with Bhagat’s birth. The photographs of his mother and sisters also find proud place in the gallery. Besides, the portrait gallery has a number of photographs of his compatriots, revolutionaries and ghadarites who inspired Bhagat Singh to wage the struggle. I was the engrossed in thoughts of the times I was not a witness to. Curator’s warning to "hurry up" jolted me when I was reading on the portrait board Ab to kha baithen hein, Chittagarh ki kasmein: sarfaroshi ki ada deti hein rasmein. I hissed and surged forward to the glassed vaults section of the Museum.

This section preserved the mementoes and relevant material relating to the great martyrs and revolutionaries. I came face to face with the first page of the diary of Bhagat Singh with the notes which read ‘Lover, Lunatic and Patriot’ are made of the same stuff. He had drunk the nectar of love for his country. He also wrote ‘My strength is the strength of the oppressed, my courage is the courage of desperation’.

The next vault exhibited the blood soaked pebbles, sands and half-burnt bones of the martyr brought by martyr’s sister Bibi Ajmer Kaur from the bank of Sutlej where he was hanged and burnt. I was sad and remorseful. Then my eyes caught the inscription on the plate Shaheed ka jo khoon hai, Kaum ke inyat.

In the same vault lies the nasty pen with which the death sentence was awarded to martyrs. Other notable exhibits include Sukhdev’s Kulah, copy of judgement of the First Lahore Conspiracy Case, copy of the Bhagvadagita with the autograph of the martyr. These exhibits are silent reminders of supreme sacrifice the martyrs made for the motherland.