Kin demands 'martyr' status for Bhagat Singh

Bhopal: Kin of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on Thursday demanded 'martyr' status for him along with others who laid down their lives for country's freedom between 1757 and 1947.

"Freedom fighters like Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ashfaqulla Khan and innumerable others who laid down their lives should be officially accorded the status of martyrs by the Centre," Yadvinder Singh Sandhu, told reporters here.

Sandhu is the grandson of Karveer Singh, brother of Bhagat Singh.

He said that the government should officially declare the names of martyrs and memories related to it.

Sandhu said that when East India Company came to India in 1757 it met opposition and before 1857 - the Sepoy mutiny - the country saw many instances of revolt against the British.

"The government should bring in public domain, documents related to the hanging of Bhagat Singh and other martyrs to acquaint new generation with their heroic deeds", Yadvinder, who is the convener of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Brigade, said.

He said that the government should set up a museum comprising memories related to the martyrs, teach their biographies from class 1 to 12, name national schemes after them and put their pictures on currency notes.

He further said despite nod of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh governments, Chandigarh Airport has not been named after Bhagat Singh yet.

Chandigarh Airport should be named after Bhagat Singh immediately, he added.