The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action-taken report (ATR) from the Chief Secretary within four weeks on the human rights of the martyrs and other related issues of Eram, a place known as the second Jalianawalbagh in the Indian freedom struggle.
The commission passed the order on June 25 this year while acting over the petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy.
Eram, a place in Bhadrak district, where the British forces killed 28 persons on September 28, 1942 was also very important as the only woman martyr of the freedom movement in Orissa, Pari Bewa, also fell to the British bullets there.
Most of the descendants of the martyrs and the freedom fighters have been living life in lurch. Even though their fore-fathers have sacrificed their lives for free-India, these unfortunate victims are denied social welfare schemes of Government, the petitioner contended.
“Today there is no museum to showcase the great sacrifice through pictorial or any audio-visual depiction. The police had blocked the only passage to the ground surrounded by rivers on three sides. However, in the absence of Government patronage, there is not even a proper road to the memorial. The place has not found a place in the tourism map of India; no development work has been undertaken by the State Government,” the petitioner pointed out.
In 1942, the people of nearby villages were assembled at Eram after they declared themselves as part of a ‘Swadhina chakla’ or Independent area under the leadership of freedom fighters like Banchhanidhi Mohanty.
The place where a mandap has been constructed in the memory of the martyrs and injured freedom fighters has been a place for open defecation and heaven for the butchers to kill goats and pigs. Such worse has been the situation, I have personally witnessed, Radhakanta alleged.
“Non-recognition of the contribution of the large number of martyrs for the Indian freedom struggle amounts to violation of human rights of these great sons of soil.
Denial of benefits of social welfare schemes to the descendants of the freedom fighters pose serious threat to their human rights since most of them started starving for survival. It is most important to mention that the family members of ‘Pari Bewa,’ one of the rare lady martyrs of India have also living in lurch till date, the petitioner contended.
He requested the commission to direct the State authorities to make a comprehensive survey of the living condition of the descendants i.e. the family members of the martyrs including those who were injured by British bullet and ensure them the benefits of social welfare schemes like BPl, Indira Awas, Annapurna/Antorday, PDS (food security) and social security pension to the eligible persons and ensure their basic human rights and direct the district administration to ensure basic infrastructure to the area and keep the historical place free from open defecation and animal killing.