Memorial of Bhagat Singh’s mother in ruins, villagers urge govt to act

Even as the nation recently paid tribute to Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary, pledging to uphold the ideals of the martyrs, the memorial dedicated to his mother, Mata Vidyavati, at her ancestral village Moranwali in Hoshiarpur district, lies in a state of neglect and disrepair.

Constructed in 2009 at a cost of Rs 4.67 crore, the Mata Vidyavati Smarak was envisioned as a tribute to the contribution of Bhagat Singh’s family to India’s freedom struggle. The complex houses a multipurpose hall, auditorium and library block. However, today it lacks even the most basic upkeep.

Tiles and marbles have come loose, the walls have lost their colour and shine, cracks have appeared and the once-functional fountains are now missing. The building has not been whitewashed since its inauguration. Statues are fading, the area is overrun with wild vegetation and garbage, and there is no designated caretaker or cleaning staff. Toilets lie broken, manhole covers have been stolen and iron grills and utensils are missing. A few days ago, the power supply to the memorial was snapped by the PSPCL over unpaid electricity bills.

“We try to manage things at our level, but we are helpless. This is government property. Without staff or funds, we cannot do much,” said village sarpanch Amandeep Singh Rai. “If the government can’t maintain it, they should hand it over to the panchayat with proper funding.”

The memorial was inaugurated in 2009 by then Union Minister Ambika Soni and received some attention during the SAD-BJP government. However, it has since fallen off the radar of successive administrations.

RTI activist Parvinder Singh Kittna, who has written repeatedly to officials — including the Chief Minister, Tourism Ministers, Secretary and Director of the Tourism Department and the Deputy Commissioner — said the site has only received “empty promises” in response.

“The condition of the memorial is heart-breaking,” Kittna said. “The government must deploy staff and organise at least one official event here annually.”

Advocate Jasveer Singh Rai, a local resident, echoed the sentiment. “This could have been a place of pride. If a sports academy or football club had been started here, the youth would have connected with our heritage in a positive way.”

The villagers and panchayat are now demanding that the government either take full responsibility for the memorial’s upkeep or formally transfer its management to the local administration, along with a dedicated grant for its restoration and development.

“We don’t want to see this monument turn into ruins,” said Sarpanch Rai. “We are ready to take responsibility — but the government must act before it’s too late. Either the government should take full responsibility for the memorial or hand it over fully to the panchayat, providing funds for its maintenance and development.”