A cannon outside the Anglo-Sikh War Museum in Ferozepur.

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, September 9

Two pistols dating back to the Anglo-Sikh wars of 1845-46, stolen more than a decade ago from a museum here, are yet to be recovered.Earlier, swords, firearms and other weapons from these wars had been put on display at the Anglo-Sikh War Museum at the time of its inauguration in 1976. It was constructed in memory of the Sikh soldiers who had attained martyrdom while fighting the British forces.However, much to the dismay of historians and local residents, these historical weapons have been junked or got stolen.On the complaint of the then Director, Cultural Affairs, the Ferozepur police had registered a criminal case against two persons at Ghall Khurd police station in June 2006 in connection with the theft, but no follow-up action was taken.“It seems successive state governments deserted this monument the way the generals betrayed their brave soldiers during the Anglo-Sikh wars,” said Harish Monga, a local resident.Paucity of funds, manpower and resources at this sprawling complex are cited among the reasons for its neglect. The iron tripod bearing plaques of the Anglo-Sikh wars have rusted beyond recognition. The collection of murals and wall paintings depicting battle scenes and portraits by renowned painters such as Kirpal Singh and Jaswant Singh have been damaged. The condition of portraits of Maharani Jindan, Sham Singh Attariwala, Diwan Mool Chand and Lord Dalhousie is equally bad.“Instead of setting up more memorials, the state government should first improve the condition of the existing ones,” said Lt Gen OP Nandrajog, a former Army commander.“One wonders if the state officials or ministers have ever had the inclination to visit these memorials,” he added.Meanwhile, Army officers from Britain will visit the Saragarhi memorial here on Tuesday to pay tributes to martyrs of the 1897 battle. The Congress government is hosting a state-level function to mark the occasion. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who is on a private visit to the UK, has authored a book on the subject.