Ferozepur Anglo-Sikh war memorial a picture of neglect

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, May 18

The historic Anglo-Sikh war museum in Ferozepur constructed in the memory of valiant Sikh soldiers who died during the Anglo-Sikh Wars of 1845-46 portrays a picture of apathy and neglect. Located on the banks of the twin canals on the National Highway-95, this memorial stands “alone” on the actual war site where the two Anglo-Sikh wars were fought in the nearby villages of Sabraon, Mudki and Ferozeshah.

The moment you disembark, you discover two antique cannons with broken wooden wheels standing guard at the main gate. The iron tripod bearing plaques that announce the mute testimony to the Anglo-Sikh wars have seemingly rusted beyond recognition. This state of neglect is despite the fact that over Rs 80 lakhs were spent a few years ago by the Punjab Heritage Tourism Promotion Board on its renovation under a Centrally-funded scheme for “revitalisation” of Anglo-Sikh battle sites in the state. Paucity of funds, manpower and resources at this sprawling complex are cited among the reasons for its neglect . Broken glass panes have turned this artistically designed memorial into a convenient nesting site not only for birds but also nasty brown wasps. Several rare artefacts, including vintage pistols stolen from this museum years ago, are yet to be recovered.