Rs 1-cr grant for historic Saragarhi memorial facelift unspent for 3 yrs

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, September 11

Almost three years have passed since then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh released a special grant of Rs 1 crore for the beautification and development of the historic Saragarhi memorial, which depicts a saga of unparalleled chivalry in the history of military warfare.

125th anniversary of battle today

• The memorial was raised by the British to commemorate the 21 valiant soldiers of 36 Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army
• They had died fighting against 10,000 Afridis during the Battle of Saragarhi on Sept 12, 1897, in North West Frontier Province

However, the funds are yet to be utilised for the purpose. On September 9, 2019, The Tribune had highlighted the matter regarding non-receipt of the grant announced by the then CM during his visit to the memorial on September 12, 2018, following which the grant was released the same day. Owing to procedural wrangles, it is still lying unused in the state’s coffers.

The district administration had floated a tender inviting proposals for a detailed project report for the development of the memorial in June last year, but nothing has moved beyond that. Though the project regarding the construction of a tourist centre under a centrally funded “Swadesh Darshan” scheme has been completed, all other commitments have not been honoured till date. Announcements were also made regarding setting up of an institute for competitive studies, Saragarhi club, etc., but these are nowhere in the sight.

Several Bollywood movies have highlighted this epic battle worldwide. However, the memorial still stands isolated with no concerted effort to bring it on the world map.

The memorial was raised by the British to commemorate the 21 valiant soldiers of 36 Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army who died fighting against the might of over 10,000 Afridis during the Battle of Saragarhi on September 12, 1897, in North West Frontier Province. This year happens to its 125th anniversary.

Last year, a 10-foot-tall bronze statue of Havildar Ishar Singh, the leader of the 21 Sikh soldiers and a cook who attained martyrdom in this battle, was set up at Wednesfield, a suburb of Wolverhampton in the UK.

“It is the first time that such a monument related to the Battle of Saragarhi has been set up in the UK, but nothing much has been done at the memorial site here,” said Gurbhej Tibbi, a member of the Saragarhi Foundation.

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