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Jallianwala Bagh trustee picks holes in its revamp
Former Rajya Sabha member Tarlochan Singh said the entrance to Jallianwala Bagh should have been kept intact during the revamp
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Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust member Tarlochan Singh on Sunday questioned the revamp of the national monument and pointed out flaws in its redevelopment project that was dedicated to the centenary of the 1919 massacre.
Visiting the memorial along with Chief Khalsa Diwan senior members, the former Rajya Sabha member said: “First of all, the entrance should have been kept intact. It does not make the visitor feel that he is entering a historical monument. It feels as if entering a theatre. So, its original look should be restored by putting up small bricks, which were used in old times.”
Pointing to another “major mistake”, the former MP said that descriptions of various spots, including Shaheedi Khuh, have been written on the ground during the revamp and are illegible.
“The newly installed wooden railing has started to break. It should be replaced with a steel railing. Also, there should be a proper facility of drinking water,” he said.
Singh said that earlier there were portraits of those martyred in the massacre. “Now these portraits are in the store room. This is a sentimental issue and relatives of the martyrs are demanding that these portraits be brought back. Moreover, the list of the martyrs should be finalised and displayed,” he said.
However, Singh, who is also the former chairman of National Commission for Minorities, praised the galleries established during the revamp. When asked if he was not consulted while finalising the facelift, Singh said: “I attended the meetings regarding the development, but the design of the revamp was finalised by the culture ministry and was not shown to us.”
Social and leftwing organisations have been opposing the revamp, citing that the memorial’s heritage character has been destroyed in the name of facelift.
Tarlochan Singh raises concern over defacement in Amritsar
Meanwhile, Tarlochan Singh also raised the issue of massive defacement in Amritsar, which is a holy city and is being developed under the smart city project.
“Once I entered the city, I saw big hoardings and banners by political leaders and others everywhere. They did not even spare the national monument of Jallianwala Bagh and covered a sizable portion of its entrance, which is an offence. I got it removed. Why isn’t such defacement banned on the pattern of Delhi and Mumbai?” he said.
Singh, who recently receiving the Padma Bhushan for his services, was also felicitated by the CKD, including senior member Rajinder Singh Marwaha, and other local organisations, including the Amritsar Trade and Industries Association.
