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Martyr’s memorial left neglected in Panchkula ruins
The overgrown grass in the park, an open gutter outside the entrance and a damaged footpath have made the approach to the memorial appear neglected
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A memorial built to keep alive the memory of a young soldier who gave his life for the nation now stands amid overgrown grass, a broken footpath and an open drain — an approach that does little justice to the martyr it was built to honour.
The Shaheed Major Anuj Rajput Smarak in Sector 10, near the Sector 5-10/4-11 roundabout, was inaugurated by former army chief general VP Malik on September 21, 2024. Nearly two years later, residents and visitors say the civic authorities need to pay greater attention to its upkeep.
The overgrown grass in the park, an open gutter outside the entrance and a damaged footpath have made the approach to the memorial appear neglected. For those who visit to pay homage to a soldier, the surroundings can be particularly disappointing.
Major Anuj Rajput, who was 28, died on September 21, 2021, during treatment after an army helicopter crash-landed in the Shiv Garh Dhar area of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir. He was serving during Operation Rakshak.
His death came just days after he celebrated his 28th birthday on September 18. He was the only child of his parents and had got engaged only two months before the crash.
A former student of St John’s High School, Chandigarh, Major Rajput later joined the National Defence Academy. His father, Kulbansh Singh Arya, is a practising advocate in Chandigarh, while his mother retired as a government school teacher. The family lives in Sector 20, Panchkula.
His father said the memorial was being maintained, but sanitation and maintenance work had been affected due to the strike by sanitation workers across Haryana. He added that the issue of maintenance had also been raised before the authorities by the sainik board.
However, residents believe the memorial deserves more than periodic cleaning. VK Kapur, a retired nationalised bank employee and a resident of Sector 11, said that the approach to the memorial needed attention, particularly the broken footpath, open drain, lack of proper signage and haphazard parking.
The memorial, he said, should have a properly landscaped entrance, adequate lighting, benches, a prominent flag post and a clearly demarcated paved parking area. Direction boards from the main road would also make it easier for visitors to locate the site.
K Makrand Pandurang, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA), said the open drain will be covered soon, and repair work near the roundabout will also be carried out.
The memorial holds special significance on occasions when the nation remembers its martyrs. Haryana Heroes’ Martyrdom Day, observed on September 23, is marked with a programme at the memorial, while Army officers and others also pay homage there on Martyrs’ Day on January 30.
