Salute to Martyrs: After 150 years

Some 200 martyrs who lost their lives without any trace in the far away waters of Andaman will now be venerated in a different manner. Through an initiative from a city based organisation, the clay of the earth where the corpses of the martyrs were left to rot some 150 years ago, will be dissolved in the waters of Arabian sea on 9 th August.

Maharashtra Pradesh Swatantrya Sainik Mahasangh (Maharashtra Freedom Fighters Federation) has organised the program in Mumbai where the Kalash bearing the earth of Rock Island in Andaman Islands will be flown in Arabian Sea. In the British Raj, around 200 freedom fighte

rs from the state lost their lives in Andaman. The bodies of the martyrs were thrown from the rock where the island is situated. Veteran socialist leader from Mumbai, Madhu Adelkar has collected this earth after an extensive research and five trips to the islands. He has also collected the information regarding the martyrs.

Adelkar told Pune Mirror, "After the unsuccessful mutiny of 1857, East India Company and thereafter British government sent many freedom fighters to Andaman. They had sent five boats carrying 700 people. These people were sent for life meaning they were never meant to return. I managed to get names of 375 martyrs who lost their lives during their imprisonment. After searching the details, I found out whereabouts of these people. They were all students and youths who were sent because government was afraid of them."

Adelkar found out that there were 211 martyrs from Maharashtra who left this world without last rites. "With the help from a Burmese guide, I could find the rock from where the bodies of the martyrs were thrown on the island. So I thought why we should not give the respect to them which they deserve. There was no information on these martyrs for 150 years and this is the first time it has brought to light. Accordingly, we have arranged this function wherein the the earth will be flown in the sea by the hands of veteran freedom fighters," said Adelkar.

Informing about the function, Prabhakar Gupte said, "We will take out a procession of the Kalash on 9th August. We will do a pooja and after offering the tributes to the martyrs, it will be brought to Goregaon Chowpaty. Veteran socialist leader and ex-minister Prabhakar Kunte and Mrinal Gore will attend this program. The main object of this program is to bring about awareness about the Andaman martyrs among students. For this reason, we have arranged competitions in the schools in Mumbai also which will go on till August."
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