At Prayagraj junction, ‘gallery’ dedicated to freedom struggle coming up at FOB
Around 11 panels, measuring 36 square feet, will showcase the prominent incidents associated with the entire freedom struggle and the freedom fighters who were associated with it.
The newly constructed foot overbridge (FOB) at Prayagraj Junction, connecting platform number 1 to 6, is gradually taking shape of a gallery dedicated to freedom fighters and major incidents that are associated with the freedom struggle.
While using the FOB, the train passengers would have a feeling like they are passing through a museum gallery with pictures depicting the chronology of events of the freedom movement of the country. The entire work is being carried out under the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava’ initiative, commemorating the 75 years of India’s Independence.
“The paintings that are being created by our team will give the feeling of witnessing specific incidents and events of the freedom struggle like Dandi March, the First War of Independence of 1857, the Kakori incident,” said Javed ‘Fankar’, the lead painter whose fifth generation is now into the field of painting.
Around 11 panels, measuring 36 square feet, will showcase the prominent incidents associated with the entire freedom struggle and the freedom fighters who were associated with it.
“For example, our painting of 1857 war of Independence will show Rani Lakshami Bai fighting with British and how Mangal Pandey fought for our freedom. Likewise, we will show Subhash Chandra Bose asking fellow countrymen ‘Tum mujhe khun do, mai tumhe azadi dunga’, or for that matter Bhagat Singh throwing bomb in the British Parliament etc. All these scenes will be showcased on the panels of the FOB,” said Javed.
Some of the paintings would be based on and will also carry famous slogans given by great leaders like ‘Sarfaroshi ki tamanna…’ by Bismil Azimabadi and others, he added.
Public relation officer (PRO), Prayagraj Division of the North Central Railways (NCR), Amit Singh said, “As the country is celebrating the 75th year of Independence and the Indian railways is undertaking several initiatives to mark the celebrations, the Prayagraj Division too has joined in through this ‘gallery’ of freedom fighters’ being painted at FOB number 4.”
“Besides painting the entire episode of the incidents associated with our freedom struggle, we will be painting portraits of a number of renowned freedom fighters including Mahatama Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekanad and many others on the panels installed on the sides of around 100-metre long FOB,” said Himanshu Agarwal, who is also associated with the project.