Chauri Chaura Shaheed Smarak Bhawan is in dilapidated condition

Chauri Chaura film festival is organized by Chauri Chaura film society at Dumri Khurd village and honored nine family members of martyrs of Chauri Chaura here on Wednesday. On 4^th February, Saturday, 1922 at around 2 pm more than 2000 villagers majorly farmers and downtrodden people surrounded Chauri Chaura police station and set fire, killing all of its occupants. The incident led to the deaths of three civilians and 23 policemen. Though people remember the day with passion but the condition of the martyrs’ family members is in pathetic state in contrast with the descendants of police men who died in the incident. The Chauri Chaura Shaheed smarak (martyr’s memorial) is dilapidated and even few of the statues of the martyr’s are broken.

On the occasion Aruna Chowdhary, research scholar, said, “After 60 years of the incident ex prime minister Lt Indira Gandhi laid the foundation stone of  Shaheed Samarak Bhawan on 6^th February 1982 and after 11 years on 19^th July 1993 ex prime minister Lt. Narshimha Rao inaugurated it.  The condition of the memorial is dilapidated though local leaders and administration remember the place on anniversary of Chauri Chaura incident.

On the same lines Ramnarayan Tripathi, lamented, “ We are very shocked with the attitude of Government as the memorial is in very bad condition. The library and museum is also in bad state in  lack of maintenance as the librarian and guard who were appointed here have not got the salary since 1999. In lack of maintenance some of the statues of 19 martyrs of the incident are broken. There is no electricity as due to the due payment the power has been cut from last three years and we are conducting the program with the help of generators. The descendants of the Chauri Chaura incident are in living in very bad condition as British Government acquired their land and house at that time and in contrast the descendants of police men of the incident are enjoying life as British Government awarded them with land and money.”

Paradox at Chauri Chaura Shaheed Smarak- people also pay homage to Policemen working for British Government

In reaction of suppression by British Government and zamindars of the area, poor villagers majorly including downtrodden people and farmers torched Chauri Chaura police station in which 22 the occupants of the police station were killed and later the British Government arrested 228 people for this in which 6 had died in the police custody while 172 were sentenced to death. There are two ‘Memorials’ at Chauri Chaura, one is for the martyrs who were hanged to death by the British regime and shamefully there is a memorial at the police station too in which names of the police personnel are placed who were killed in the in that subsequent burning the police station. Both the memorials are known as ‘ Amar Shaheed Smarak’and surprisingly in lack of awareness people and even police officials offer flowers and respect at both the martyr’s memorial.

It is shocking that the British police is also considered as martyr’s in free India. Dr Mumtaz Khan, a theater artist and journalist, says, “In 1997 during first Gorakhpur Mahotsav I went to make a program on Chauri Chaura kand and when I reached the police station the SO gave me a match box and joss stick (agarbatti) to offer homage to the martyr’s memorial in the campus. Later I realized that I paid homage to the British policemen who actually suppressed poor Indians. Platforms (chabootra) for Hindu policemen and Taq ( arch) for Muslim policemen are inside the police station campus and the place is known as Amar Shaheed Smarak. The other martyr’s memorial for poor villagers who were hanged or died in police custody is at a short distance from the police station which was build after 60 years of the incident. Ex Prime Minister Lt Indira Gandhi laid the foundation stone of Shaheed Samarak Bhawan on 6^th February 1982 and after 11 years on 19^th July 1993 ex Prime Minister Lt. Narshimha Rao inaugurated it.  The condition of the memorial is dilapidated though local leaders and administration remember the place on anniversary of Chauri Chaura incident.”

On the samelines, Dr Ashok Srivastav, social activist and writer says, “It is highly confusing as both the places are known as Shaheed smarak. First of all the memorial inside the police station shouldn’t be called as martyr’s memorial as those British policemen can’t be kept in the category of martyr’s.”

On asking the SO of Chauri Chaura police station about offering homage to the martyr’s memorial inside the police station campus, he said, “Yes we offered flowers and also lit scented sticks at the memorial as today is the anniversary of Chauri Chaura kand. People come inside the police station to visit martyr’s memorial and pay their homage at the place.”