Ferozepur, April 28, 2017: Shaheed Bhagat Singh Rajguru and Sukhdev Memorial Society – which is organizing a week long programme every year dedicated to martyrs – have insisted on to bring the historical pistol of Bhagat Singh for display at Hussainiwala – the place where their dead bodies of three martyrs' were cremated, after execution on March 23, 1931.
Brief History : Revolutionary Bhagat Singh’s pistol, which he used to kill British officer John Saunders in 1928, was sent to the Frontier Headquarters at Jalandhar last week, over 47 years after it was shifted to the BSF’s Central School of Weapons and Tactics (CSWT) museum here from the Police Academy in Phillaur in Punjab.
The historic semi-automatic .32-bore Colt-make pistol was transferred to BSF’s Frontier Headquarters at Jalandhar during last week, a senior BSF official said.
Interestingly, BSF IG Pankaj Goomar had said last month that they were planning to display the pistol at new arms museum of the BSF here.
The pistol has been sent to Jalandhar at a time when the demand is being raised to display it in the museum at Bhagat Singh’ village Khatkar Kalan in Punjab.
A public interest litigation (PIL) about shifting the pistol to Punjab is also pending before the Punjab-Haryana High Court.
The pistol has been on display at the CSWT’s old museum here along with other arms of BSF since it was sent here on October 7, 1969 from the Police Academy in Phillaur.
At the memorial place, there is no museum or building where the historical pistol could be displayed. However, it can be exhibited at the Border Security Force Museum already existing at Indo-Pak Check Post where retreat ceremony is performed every day in the presence of good number of visitors. The district administration sources said, there is no official information about the display of Bhagat Singh’s pistol at Hussainiwala but presently the BSF museum is the right place for display.
Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s pistol with which he shot dead British police officer JP Saunders December 17, 1928, is back in the state at Jalandhar after a gap of more than 47 years.
Presently, the martyrs memorial is a neglected place, lacking basic facilities for the visitors and tourists. To keep the young generation realized about the sacrifices of martyrs’, Hussainiwala - the land of martyrs – needs to be developed and keeping the pistol of Bhagat Singh will add more significations to this historical place.