Palampur: 30 years on, freedom fighter's widow toils to get road to village

Ravinder Sood

Advertisement

Palampur, December 17

Dharmi Devi (93), widow of freedom fighter Fateh Singh, has been moving from pillar to post for the past 30 years for the construction of a road to her Tamroo Riri village.

Fateh Singh and her brother-in-law Kali Dass were both freedom fighters and served in the Azad Hind Fauj of Subhas Chandra Bose. The Union Government had declared them freedom fighters after Independence.

There are many unsung heroes like Fateh Singh and Kali Dass who had raised their voice against the British rule, but their services were never recognised. There are two such families of freedom fighters in one village of Jaisinghpur subdivision, but they are only remembered by the villagers.

At present, Tamroo Riri village, which falls under Jaisinghpur subdivision, has no road connectivity. One has to traverse on foot for 45 minutes to reach the village.

Bent with age and wearing thick glass, Dharmi Devi was in tears as she narrated how she had been fighting for the cause since 1990 but no one had listened to her. She said during the Assembly and parliamentary elections, Congress and BJP leaders usually called on her, but they made promises that were never fulfilled. She said when her husband was alive, he, too, had fought for the cause.

Even an ambulance could not reach the village. She said her husband and brother-in-law were still remembered as heroes in the Jaisinghpur area, but the government was yet to acknowledge their contribution. The village panchayat has also written to the state government to take an initiative for the construction of roads to acknowledge the sacrifices of these unsung heroes.

Contribution not acknowledged

• At present, Tamroo Riri village, which falls under Jaisinghpur subdivision, has no road connectivity. One has to travel on foot for around 45 minutes to reach the village
• Fateh Singh’s widow Dharmi Devi (in pic) says her husband and brother-in-law are still remembered as heroes in the Jaisinghpur area, but the government is yet to acknowledge their contribution to the freedom struggle