Pune: Portions of main entrance to martyr Shivram Hari Rajguru’s ancestral home crumbles

PUNE: Some portions of the main entrance of the ancestral home of freedom fighter Shivram Hari Rajguru crumbled early on Monday at Rajgurunagar, about 45km from the city.
The house was constructed with soil and bricks, said Vilas Vahane, assistant director, state archaeological department, Pune division, which has been preserving the old structure.
Vahane told TOI on Tuesday that their staff members conducted a preliminary survey and found that the adjacent property owner had removed the supporting structure of the entrance last year.“As a result, the structure has become weak. Because of rainfall, the loose portions of the soil and bricks of the entrance collapsed on Monday,” Vahane said.
He said that it is the only entry point to the birth room of the martyr, where visitors pay tributes daily. “The repair of the structure is necessary. We will conduct a meeting with local people on Wednesday to discuss the issue and find a solution. We will submit a proposal to the state government for carrying out repairs,” Vahane added.
The house, situated on the bank of the Bhima river, is in bad shape. Residents and activists have been demanding that the state government repair and renovate the house. They want the house to be converted into a national memorial.
Vahane said that the essential portions of the house have been well maintained. Atul Deshmukh, president, Hutatma Rajguru Samiti, a local body, said that the state public works department (PWD) had submitted a proposal to the state government for a memorial three years ago. “However, the government did not release funds for the project. Around 40-50 people visit the house daily and we cannot risk their lives,” Deshmukh added.
Rajguru was an Indian revolutionary. He was known mainly for his involvement in the assassination of British police officer John Saunders.
On March 23, 1931, he was hanged by the then British Government along with his associates Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev Thapar.