In Rafi’s centenary year, 100-ft statue planned at native village

Neha Saini

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Amritsar, December 26

To mark the centenary birth anniversary celebrations of singing legend Mohammed Rafi, which falls in 2024, the World of Mohammed Rafi Welfare Foundation (WMRWF) and the Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha (SSFASS) announced to erect a 100-feet tall statue of Rafi at his ancestral village of Kotla Sultan Singh near Majitha, Amritsar.

The two independent organisations announced the decision at an event held in Mumbai. The Government Elementary Smart School, Kotla Sultan Singh, where Rafi studied till class IV, will also be provided with infrastructural upgrade by these organisations.

Mohammed Rafi was born at Kotla Sultan Singh on December 24, 1924 and special commemorative ceremonies are held every year by several members of the local community to pay tribute to the singer, who remains a legend in the Indian music industry.

The SSFASS and the WMRWF announced that they would erect a 100-foot tall ‘Rafi Minar’ in memory of the singer at his birthplace in Kotla Sultan Singh village, and have 100 top songs of Rafi engraved on it. This is not the first time that an attempt to revamp and develop Rafi’s alma mater, Government Elementary Smart School at Kotla Sultan Singh, has been made.

“In 2021, the Directorate of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Punjab, had announced tenders for development and restoration of the school, which is almost a century old. The school currently has around 70-80 students till Class V and a special wall has been dedicated to Mohammed Rafi, one of its most famous students,” shared Gurbir Singh Samra, a head teacher, who used to work as ETT in the school till earlier this year. The state government had intended to carry out conservation and restoration of the old school building but the project did not materialise.

Last year, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal, during his visit to Amritsar, had announced that the Union Ministry of Culture would set up a museum dedicated to the famous singer provided the authorities concerned submitted a plan for it. This included a scheme to develop the school as well.

Gurbir Singh said, “Two months back, a team of officials including some from the Archaeology Department, visited the school and asked to list its maintenance and development requirements.”

“The building is currently in its original structure. Also, there is a need for more classrooms. We were told that a budget of Rs 45 lakh was earmarked for the development works, along with Rs 1 crore allotted to Sri Dashmesh Senior Secondary School, Kotla Sultan Singh,” added Singh.