Ludhiana: It only took 10 years, several missed Independence and Republic Days, and the threat of a hunger strike to find a house that’s been there since the British Raj. On Sunday, the MC finally prepares to bulldoze through years of bureaucratic neglect to grant revolutionary martyr Sukhdev Thapar’s ancestral home the dignity of a front door.To take possession of a key property blocking the path from the historical Chaura Bazaar to the martyr’s home in Naughara Mohalla, the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) has coordinated a high-stakes drive for Jan 25 at 11am. Despite its historical significance, the ancestral house remains largely hidden within the congested, winding lanes of the old city. The Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Memorial Trust says the lack of direct access has long discouraged visitors and tourists from paying their respects to the freedom fighter. “Many Republic and Independence Days have passed while we pleaded with authorities to open this path,” said Ashok Thapar, national chairman of the trust. “People find it too difficult to locate the house. We want the next generation to connect with our history, but that is impossible if they cannot find the site.“The Legal ManoeuvreThe additional MC commissioner’s office has finalised the acquisition after years of bureaucratic delays. According to official correspondence, the owner, Prem Chand Bansal, has been ordered to remove all movable items and be present for the handover. Officials have confirmed the property was acquired for public purposes and the compensation award has been finalised.The deputy commissioner has been requested to deploy a duty magistrate and police force to ensure the transition occurs without incident. The move comes just in time to avert a planned protest. Trust members had intended to begin a hunger strike following Jan 26 if the city failed to act.The subdivisional magistrate (SDM) of East, acting as the land acquisition officer, has instructed local revenue officials (kanungo and patwari) to be on-site to record the proceedings in the daily report. Once the property is handed over to MC officials Kapil Dev and Harminder Singh, the city can begin the work of creating a direct corridor for the public.
