The damaged staircase of the Mai Bhago Park in Muktsar. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, January 7

Just a few days are left for the festival of Maghi and the mela has already started, but the careless attitude of the authorities concerned can be gauged from the fact that the memorials built in the memory of 40 Muktas (liberated ones) and Mai Bhago are not repaired yet.These monuments are crying for immediate repair and presenting a picture of neglect. A large number of devotees come to the town from faraway places to pay obeisance at local historic gurdwaras and a take a holy dip in the sarowar (holy pond).A random visit to the town revealed that the situation was worst at the Mai Bhago park, built near the fire brigade office. The staircase and some statues placed there, depicting the war scene, are damaged. Further, the gates built at the entrance of the town and dedicated to 40 Muktas, too, need repair.This is not the first time when the administration has not paid attention towards these monuments. Earlier, the condition of Mukt-e-Minar, having a tall “khanda” (double-edged sword) with girdled rings was in a poor shape.The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which had laid the foundation stone of Martyrs’ Memorial (dedicated to Mai Bhago and 40 Muktas) on the Tibbi Sahib road here on May 4, 2005, has also failed to start the construction work till date. Shockingly, the foundation stone too has been vandalised by some miscreants.Gurmeet Singh, a local resident, said, “The authorities concerned should pay some attention and without wasting any time should start the repair work. Further, they should print some pamphlets to inform the devotees coming to the town about all the places to visit.”Meanwhile, the Northern Railway Passengers Samiti has demanded to run some special trains for a few days during the Maghi Mela.Meanwhile, members of the Dhan Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee on Wednesday gathered at Bhai Maha Singh Hall here in the town, took out a march on roads and submitted a memorandum to the district administration saying that the Maghi Mela should be observed as a religious affair and no political conference should be allowed. Notably, both the SAD (Badal) and SAD (Amritsar) have announced to hold political conferences on January 14 here. They said if any political party held a political conference, they would lodge a protest.