While the nation celebrated the 14th anniversary of the Kargil War as ‘Vijay Diwas’ on July 26 last in order to remember the sons of the soil who sacrificed their lives in the war, in Kendrapada, the martyrs’ families have been given a raw deal. It seems the Government has forgotten to keep its promise given to the martyrs’ families such as erecting a memorial tower for each slain soldier at his native village, among others. The gross negligence to the martyrs has stoked strong resentment in the district.
Though 14 years have been passed to the demise of martyr Sachidananda Mallick, a resident of Kandiahata under Rajkanika tehsil, but the district administration has failed to keep its promise of completing a martyr tower for him. “My son was enrolled in Army as a sepoy in 1989. later, he was promoted to lance Naik. He died in the Kargil battle at Trash Sector on June 28, 1999. Sachidananda was the fifth Odia to get the martyrdom in the Kargil War,” said octogenarian father of Sachidananda Upendra Mallick.
He further stated that the then Collector of Kendrapada Nrusingha Mohapatra had attended the funeral of Sachidananda and had provide Rs 2 lakh compensation to my daughter-in-law along with a letter of the then Chief Minister Giridhari Gomang. later, on the his second death anniversary, the then Collector Krushna Chandra Mohanty and former MP of Kendrapada Pravat Kumar Samantaray had paid a visit to Kandia to lay foundation stone of Sachidananda Smruti Stamba (martyr tower). But 12 years after the laying of the foundation stone for the martyr tower near Kandiahaat police outpost, the construction of the structure is yet to take off, Upendra rued.
The Government has done little for the welfare of the old parents of the martyr. Now the martyr’s parents have been struggling hard to meet both ends. Besides, they have been suffering from various old age ailments. When contacted, District Collector Niranjan Nayak assured that the district administration would take steps for constructing a martyr tomb soon.