A massive neem tree amid a maize field acts as the only signpost. If not for the tree, one would miss the spot where a massacre took place in early 1858.
We are at Saikdakhedi in Sehore, 40km from Bhopal and about 1km from the busy Bhopal-Indore highway. River Siwan flows close by. The neem tree on Sainik Chawni (cantonment) ground is said to mark the spot where 149 of 356 rebel sepoys of the Bhopal Contingent Force—a joint force raised by erstwhile Bhopal nawabs and the British—were killed by the British on January 14, 1858; the rest were killed in different spots on the ground. As per local lore, the bodies of the sepoys were hung by the tree and later dumped in a common grave.
It is only when one nears the neem tree that the concrete structures become visible. There is a newly built boundary wall that runs along just two sides of the 10-acre plot, a slightly older pavilion-like memorial structure under the tree, and a much older whitewashed tomb. The tomb, which probably marks the grave, is almost buried under a heap of dumped irrigation pipes.
The 10 acres were earmarked for the memorial thanks to Smarak Nirman Samiti, Sipahi Bahadur Sarkar, a citizens’ organisation. Anand Gandhi, 39, general secretary of the Samiti, is saddened by what he sees. The tomb is littered with dried leaves and other refuse. A buffalo is tied nearby. He removes some of the pipes and, picking up a dried branch, sweeps the tomb clean. He, along with the organisation president Omdeep Singh, 80, and social worker Jayant Shah, 57, silently pay homage to the martyrs with folded hands. “You would not imagine this is such an important spot, right?” asked Gandhi.
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin August 22, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin August 22, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.