The Faisalabad government has proposed to develop Bangay, freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s village, as a heritage site with a budget of Rs two crore as part of a plan to restore places of historical importance.
Malik Mushtaq Tiwana, district officer, human resource management, told The Hindu over phone that Bangay, 150 km from Lahore, would be developed with five other historical villages in the district. The cost of the project to be undertaken by the Lyallpur Heritage Foundation is Rs 12 crore.
A proposal would be forwarded to the Punjab Chief Minister soon for approval, Mr. Tiwana said. The idea was to restore places of importance in the villages to their original appearance, and provide infrastructure so that people could visit them.
Besides Bangay, Gangapur, the village of engineer and philanthropist Sir Gangaram, and Kharal of freedom fighter Ahmed Khan and two others of national importance, would be developed. The funds would be used to provide a facelift to the villages and provide the much-needed basic amenities. The villages are part of the list of 45 historical sites notified by the Faisalabad district government recently.
Classes still onThe house where Bhagat Singh was born and the school in which he studied will be restored to their original form. The one-room government primary school still stands, with its walls and roof fallen in. But the blackboard and some of the old door frames are intact. Even now, a few classes are held in the grounds outside as a mark of respect to Bangay’s most famous son. Bhagat Singh’s house is occupied and the authorities hope to acquire it with the consent of its owners.
Last December, for the first time, the dilapidated primary school in which Bhagat Singh studied as a child rang to songs that were sung after his execution. Madeeha Gauhar, director of the play “Mera Rang De Basanti Chola,” staged a few songs from the production in Bangay.
