Sangrur: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Saturday said his government will soon construct a memorial to unsung freedom fighters who laid down their lives in the Cellular Jail of Andaman during the struggle for Independence.
It will be dedicated to the sons of soil who had undergone rigorous punishment, infamously known as “Kalapani”, the CM said inaugurating a memorial to freedom fighter Udham Singh at a state-level function in the district’s Sunam.
Amarinder Singh said a lot of research has already been undertaken by eminent historians and scholars to identify such patriots and freedom fighters, especially hailing from Punjab, according to an official statement.
Recalling his visit to the Cellular Jail at Andaman Island during his last tenure, the CM said he was astonished at the fact that he did not know even a single name etched on the walls there, adding that these martyrs had died unknown leaving behind no memories.
“It is now our bounden duty to give due respect and recognition to their sacrifices made for the motherland,” said the CM.
The Shaheed Udham Singh memorial, which has a life-sized copper statue of the freedom fighter, has been constructed at Rs 6.40 crore, displaying relics, rare pictures, documents besides an urn containing his ashes.
Paying floral tributes to the freedom fighter on his 82nd martyrdom day, the CM said the supreme sacrifice made by him will ever inspire younger generations to imbibe the spirit of nationalism and patriotism.
He appealed to the local leadership for proper upkeep of the memorial, saying after sometime such places of great reverence get neglected, which should never happen.
The CM also interacted with the lineal descendants of Shaheed Udham Singh, namely Jeet Singh, Gian Singh, Ranjit Kaur, Mohan Singh, Shyam Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Malkit Singh, honouring them with “shawls” as a token of respect. (PTI)