On behalf of 9.5 crore people of Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday, paid tributes to the immortal freedom fighters Raja Shankar Shah-Raghunath Shah on their 166th Martyrdom Day at Malgodam Gondwana Chowk. Chief Minister Chouhan said that Raja Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah had inspired the local youths and soldiers to participate in the revolution in the freedom struggle of the year 1857. Together with their revolutionary comrades and the soldiers of the 52nd Regiment, the father and son planned a revolution, but the traitor passed this information to the British. Later on, both Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah were sentenced to death by getting tied with the cannon. Gondwana Rulers have the credit to firstly participate and achieve martyrdom during first freedom struggle.

 

Other political leaders MLA Ajay Vishnoi, MLA Ashok Rohani, MLA Nandni Maravi, Jila Panchayat President, Santosh Warkade, former Minister, Anchal Sonkar, District BJP President, Prabhat Sahu, Subhash Tiwari, Akhilesh Jain and Sharad Jain, Municipal Chairperson, Rikunj Vij, Kishorilal Bhalavi, Collector, Saurabh Kumar Suman and office-bearers of Gond Samaj were present during the event. On his arrival at Gondwana Chowk, the Chief Minister received a warm welcome with tribal Karma dance by the tribal dancers who also offered him traditional Pagdi Safa and Yellow Gamcha as a mark of respect.

 

After finding a poem written by Raja Shankar Shah to promote revolution during the search by the British, both the revolutionary father and son were imprisoned and kept in jail. The arrest of Raja Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah increased resentment among the soldiers and the public. Immediately a formal military court of the Deputy Commissioner and two British officers was set up and Raja Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah were sentenced to death on September 18 ,1857 for writing seditious poetry. The fire of revolution spread rapidly following the sacrifice of Raja Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah. It may be mentioned that the Bandi Grih where both Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah were kept after their arrest on September 14, 1857, is being developed as a museum.