Hussainiwala National Martyrs Memorial, Hussainiwala, Punjab, India | |
Native Name: | हुसैनीवाला राष्ट्रीय शहीदी स्मारक, पंजाब, भारत |
Location: | Hussainiwala, Firozpur district, Punjab, India |
Designer: | Government of Punjab, India |
Type: | Memorial wall and statue |
Material: | Brick, mortar, marble and metal |
Open: | 1968 |
Dedicated To: | Bhagat Singh,Batukeshwar Dutt, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar |
Map Name: | India Punjab#India |
Coordinates: | 30.9975°N 74.5469°W |
Hussainiwala National Martyrs Memorial (Hindi: हुसैनीवाला राष्ट्रीय शहीदी स्मारक, पंजाब, भारत) in memory of the Indian freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru, is at Hussainiwala village, near Firozpur city in Firozpur district of the Punjab, India. A daily flag lowering ceremony, similar to the Wagah-Attari border ceremony is also held here jointly by the Indian and Pakistani armed forces.
The memorial marks the location on the banks of the Sutlej river where Bhagat Singh, Batukeshwar Dutt, Sukhdev, and Rajguru were cremated on 23 March 1931. After they were hanged in the Lahore Central Jail, the back wall was broken by the jail authorities, and their bodies were secretly brought to this memorial and cremated without any ceremony.[1] The BSF has showcased the pistol with which Bhagat Singh killed British officer Saunders.[2] It is also the cremation place of Batukeshwar Dutt, who died in 1965 and had also been involved in bombing the Central Legislative Assembly with Singh. His last wish was to be cremated at the same place. The mother of Bhagat Singh, Vidyawati, was also cremated there in accordance with her last wish.
The memorial was built in 1968[3] and is located 1km (01miles) from the border of India and Pakistan border, on the Indian side. After the Partition of India, the cremation spot became a part of Pakistan but on 17 January 1961, it was returned to India in exchange for 12 villages near the Sulemanki Headworks (Fazilka). This action of the government was due to the pressure of AISF the student organization of CPI. The activists of AISF and AIYF conducted mass gatherings and protests to return Hussainiwala.[4] The part of remains of Old railway line connecting Ferozpur with Lahore is also preserved here.[5]
Every year, on 23 March, the Shaheedi Mela is observed at the memorial.[6] The day is also observed across the state of Punjab.
A daily ceremony is held here in the evening at Hussainiwala-Ganda Singh Wala border.[7]