Team VUCCD
Sangli
A batch of school students from a nearby village has come for a day trip in lush green Kranti Van in Balwadi village in Sangli district. As students walk around the trees, an octogenarian wearing white shirt with folded sleeves and vijar (a white balloon trouser) looks at them standing in the corner. His eyes twinkle and he has a broad smile on his wrinkled and ragged face.
As one of the young school girls stops near a tree and reads a plaque near the tree, the old man puts his hand on her head and helps her to read the plaque. “Pritilata Waddedar” the girl reads and looks up at him.
“She was a brave girl. Same like you. She sacrificed her life for the freedom we are enjoying today. You must know about her” he says and narrates Pritilata’s story to the young girl who is now joined by others.
Pritilata was just 21 when she gave up her life for the nation. She was part of the group of revolutionary leader Surya Sen who planned an attack in Chittagong. He formed a group of some 40 revolutionaries for the attack on Pahartali European Club – which stood as a symbol of the British Raj. Pritilata led the attack along with fellow revolutionaries and British soldiers fired at her. The bullet pierced into her leg and as police was about to arrest her, she consumed a cyanide capsule from her pocket. She died because if police had arrested her, they would have tortured and forced her to reveal the details of the revolutionary group fighting for freedom.
Young girls are stunned to hear the story and the old man takes them to the other tree. “No. This is not just a tree. This is Mangal Pande. He is Chandrashekhar Azad and meet Birsa Munda” he says pointing towards the trees around.
Every single tree at Kranti Van is named after a freedom fighter and for Sampatrao Pawar India’s freedom fighters are alive here in form of trees.
Living freedom fighters
“It is our responsibility to keep the spirit of the Indian freedom struggle alive. Why build statues and buildings in the name of great leaders? Nobody draws inspiration from statues. Instead, we should build memorials that are befitting. Planting a tree in the name of a martyr is the best homage we can pay” he says.
Sampatrao, a farmer thought about the idea of Kranti Van in 1992 when India celebrated the golden jubilee of the Quit India movement. The Quit India Movement or Bharat Chhodo Andolan was one of the landmark movements in India’s freedom struggle. This disobedience movement was launched in August 1942 after Mahatma Gandhi’s clarion call for immediate independence. Mahatma Gandhi addressed the nation from Mumbai’s Gowalia Tank (now called the August Kranti Maidan). Hundreds of people were imprisoned and as part of the agitation, Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the Indian tricolor for the very first time.
To keep memories of martyrs in the Quit India movement and Indian freedom fighters Sampatrao went to schools and colleges appealing to students to join his mission to plant trees in the name of martyrs.
There was barren land in the village and Sampatrao along with school students started planting trees. Thousands of students and college youth joined the drive and by 1998 over 1,475 trees were flourishing on the patch. Each tree was named after a martyr and freedom fighter. A small open auditorium and platforms were constructed so that students could come for a day trip and know about the Indian freedom struggle. Every Saturday and Sunday students gathered in Kranti Van to hear stories of freedom fighters.
Dream halted
However, the Sangli district administration jumped into action and issued notice to Sampatrao Pawar saying that he had encroached on the government land and some of the villagers had complained that the plantation and construction on the spot had blocked their road.
Sampatrao and students decided to hand over Kranti Van to the government. He requested the government that trees are named after martyrs and freedom fighters and must be protected. The district administration took over the land and Sampatrao and students were not allowed to carry out any activity there. Just within a year, the Kranti Van project was destroyed. Trees were cut by unidentified people and the government couldn’t do anything. The land was once again barren.
“I felt helpless that time. But I told myself that we have to overcome all odds and build a living memorial for our martyrs. One day I decided that I shall continue to build the memorial on my own land” said Sampatrao.
The new path
He cleared his four-acre sugarcane tract and told his family that he wants to plant trees in the memories of freedom fighters. Family and friends were stunned as the sugarcane yield was the major source of income for the family. Villages ridiculed him and some even called him a “mad man” who lives in a utopian world. But Sampatrao was unwilling to listen to anyone. The price of four-acre land in the region runs in crores. But Sampatrao said that they can grow sugarcane on another patch of family land.
Sampatrao was fighting for his dream all alone, and his 21-year-old son Vaibhav joined him. There was water scarcity and hence father and son started digging a well in the field. Meanwhile, school and college students were coming to plant and look after trees. As Kranti van was taking shape, Samatrao received a major shock.
While digging the well a stone lifter crashed and hit Vaibhav who was digging the well. He died on the spot. As Sampatrao looked at the dead body of his son, villagers and family members cursed him for his madness and urged him to behave like a normal person and stop pursuing Kranti Van idea. In the crematorium, while Vaibhav’s remains were consigned to flames, Sampatrao was inconsolable but not defeated. After cremating Vaibhav’s body, Sampatrao was back to build the memorial for martyrs. While he continued to pursue the idea of a memorial, his family struggled to survive and his children suffered.
After all the struggle, Sampatrao has built a living memorial for his heroes and heroines. “Still it is not complete. We must have a multi-purpose auditorium, hostel, and residential digital centre where students can come and stay and learn about the Indian freedom struggle. It is people’s project and people must come forward to take complete it” says Sampatrao. At the age of 80, he is still knocking on doors for help to complete the Kranti Van project.
The urge
“We as the nation have completely forgotten the price our ancestors paid to get this freedom. We are engrossed in the politics of memorials and statues. But planting trees and protecting them is the best tribute to keep our freedom fighters and martyrs alive. They will constantly remind us that freedom has not come without any price” he says.
As we fight climate change, Sampatrao’s idea to create memorials by planting trees comes as a major affirmative step.
But Sampatrao has not stopped just planting trees. He says that our rivers, mountains and environment must be protected and preserved for the next generation.
He led the movement to resuscitate the Agrani river which dried up due to encroachments and silt accumulation. The government didn’t do anything to save the river and hence villagers started the movement. Villagers widen the river stretch and construct check dams. Villagers worked 24/7 and completed works costing Rs 2 crore at just Rs 65 lakh. Today, the river has 50-60 bunds which has helped raise the water table and a total of 21 villages benefitting about 30,000 farmers
“We must not keep complaining. We must fight to find the solution. It is only we – the people who will change our lives and the destiny of the nation” says Sampatrao who is not tired of the struggles and continues to work selflessly.
Simple man with vision. Nicely narrated and written.
Man with golden heart 👏🏾god bless him . Jay hind 🇮🇳
Very well written
Why didn’t you kept WhatsApp share option
Thanks for valuable coverage i