Late in April nearly 80 years ago, a group of villagers had congregated at Vidurashwath, close to the now Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border, in Chikkaballapur district for a peaceful satyagraha. But what happened 21 years earlier in Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab was repeated at Vidurashwath. Police, on the instructions of the British Raj, fired at the group, killing 35 persons.
But Veera Soudha, a memorial to commemorate this important piece of history, is slowly fading as funds are hard to come by.
Initially, the government planned to construct pillars (stupas) in memory of the martyrs of the freedom struggle. Eventually, Veera Soudha was constructed in 2004, thanks to the initiative taken by the Swatanthrya Smaraka Abhivriddhi Samithi, a body headed by the Deputy Commissioner.
The memorial provides rare insights into the freedom movement and stands as an inspiration to the younger generation. The State government’s years-long neglect is reflected in the funds sanctioned. Of the ₹8 crore spent on the project, the government had given just ₹1 crore, with the rest collected from local area development funds of political representatives.
An advisory committee attached to the Samithi is planning to add more features to the memorial. "We have many ideas in mind to make the memorial an important place to visit as well as an educative one,” writer and advisory committee member B. Gangadhara Murthy said. These include installing a mural wall and an audio guide for visitors.
Around ₹2 crore is needed for the work, something the committee does not have.
Lack of connectivity
Currently, visitors can see a display of paintings. Films and documentaries related to freedom struggle are screened.
The area suffers from lack of connectivity. The memorial is 1km from the nearest bus stop. This is reflected in the low patronage of the historic site. Barely a 100 people come every day, and the committee receives only ₹30,000 per month through entrance fees (₹10 for adults, ₹5 for children).