Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab - Though the Punjab government observed the 69th martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh today at a state level function in Sunam, its lack of inerest was reflected from by the inattention towards the memorial built in the martyr’s memory at Rouza Sharif, Fatehgarh Sahib.
The entire government machinery and local political leaders today gathered as usual to pay their tributes to the martyr but the spirit and respect was clearly missing. The doors of memorial of Shaheed Udham Singh opened only a few days before the martyrdom day and then are ceremoniously closed for the rest of the year. Like every year, this year also district administration officers and local leaders performed their ‘duty’ today by paying tributes to Udham Singh and were photographs in front of memorial for mere media attention.
Most of youngsters are not even aware of this memorial as the state government and district Fatehgarh Sahib administration have failed to create awareness about it and there is no signboard on the road leading to the monument.
Though Parkash Singh, a former Municipal Councilor of Mandi Gobindgarh had tried to development the monument some years back by passing a resolution of spending Rs 4 lakh on its development but Local Bodies Department did not clear the proposal. Besides this, former Fatehgarh Sahib Deputy Commissioner S.K. Ahluwalia had announced that the services of a renowned architect would be taken to develop the memorial but nothing has happened till today .
As the Punjab government did not pay attention towards the memorial of the martyr a Fatehgarh Sahib based young lawyer Gurpreet Singh Saini, president of Punjab Youth Club Organisation and office bearers of Nehru Yuva Kender, Fatehgarh Sahib president came forward its proper
maintenance of the memorial. They collected around Rs 70,000 from people and spent it to make the memorial beautiful.
While paying tributes today, DC Ashok Singla assured that district administration will make arrangements of funds for beautification of the martyr memorial. A 100 member Jatha led by Ravinder Singh Neelna reached at the memorial to pay tributes to the martyr.
