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.”