Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Feb 21: Captain Ashim Bhattacharjee, a brave soldier from these Islands had laid down his life for our country. He took bullets so that we can sleep peacefully in our home. But little he knew that his supreme sacrifice will be soon forgotten by ungrateful people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the local Administration.
We honour imposters and mafia with several kind of awards but Martyrs like Ashim Bhattacharjee neither get a any recognition nor attention of decision makers.
After Ashim Bhattacharjee’s death there was a demand from various corners of Andaman society to rename the Prem Nagar area, the place where he was raised, as Ashim Bhattacharjee Nagar. Sadly that didn’t happen. The only thing which was named after the Martyr was a park, which now wears a deserted look.
When the sea swelled because of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, the park was totally ravaged. Though the administration has rebuilt all the tsunami hit places, the park is still waiting for a new lease of life. As dead people can’t cast their votes and write applications, neither our so called political leaders nor the bureaucrats ever found time to even visit the park.
Presently the Park is profusely used by people as cattle pound and public urinal by people as there is neither and security guard nor and DRM to take care of the area. Andaman Sheekha is publishing photographs to prove this fact. The reconstruction work is continuing since last eight years but still the works are not completed.
Those children who have seen this entire episode of bringing disgrace for the brave Son of this Soil, would perhaps never join armed forces. If in this way our Administration honours Martyrs then no mother in Andaman will let her babies grow up to be soldiers again.
When Andaman Sheekha contacted the Secretary PBMC the reply was same, as it was in 2006, 2007 and all these years ie. “The repair work is on and soon the Park will be given a new look.”
But thankfully the present Secretary of PBMC, Mr. Rakesh Bali looked very positive towards completing the project. Infact when Andaman Sheekha contacted the Secretary he immediately directed the Executive Engineer to complete the work as early as possible. There are also reports that on Saturday, a day after Andaman Sheekha reporter met the secretary, he visited the park to see the reconstruction work.
“This is an old project. The works are on. The boundary wall and footpaths are being constructed. This matter is being raised again and again but now I assure that this project will be completed soon,” the Secretary PBMC told Andaman Sheekha.
It seems that the PBMC is reacting now, but one wonders that why it took eight long years to speed up the reconstruction work. However, still there is no guarantee that this work will be completed soon. If the present Secretary of PBMC is transferred the work will again get delayed as it happens with other projects of Administration.
Islanders just hope that the Lt. Governor, who is himself a soldier and know the meaning of words like Martyr, Motivation and Honour, will find some time to visit the park in coming days to witness how Administration is bringing disgrace to a Martyr.
