Mon Apr 14 05:40:28 UTC 2025: ## Bengaluru’s Martyrs’ Memorial Overshadowed by Unauthorized Construction

**Bengaluru, April 14, 2025** – A 1972 memorial honoring freedom fighters killed in Bengaluru during the 1942 Quit India Movement is being obscured by the unauthorized construction of a large statue by the Shanaishchara Temple Trust. The 21-foot statue is being built near Mysore Bank Circle, directly impacting the visibility and accessibility of the Martyrs’ Memorial.

Social activists and heritage groups have expressed outrage at the lack of action by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Karnataka state government. The Naija Horatagarara Vedike, a social activist forum, has written to top officials demanding the construction halt, protection of the memorial, and the renaming of Mysore Bank Circle to either Swatantrya Veerara Chowk (Freedom Fighters Square) or Hutatma Chowk (Martyrs’ Square).

The memorial commemorates students from Central College who sacrificed their lives during the movement. Activists allege that the temple trust’s actions are a result of “vested interests” and threaten to escalate their actions into a larger movement if the memorial isn’t restored.

While senior BBMP officials confirmed the construction is unauthorized, the temple trust secretary, Somashekar, claims the work is proceeding with the help of devotees and won’t disturb the memorial. He further justified the lack of permission by stating, “This is God’s work.”

Activists point to past negligence by the BBMP and government, noting that despite previous efforts by veteran freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy to preserve the site, the memorial continues to be threatened. They further allege that the BBMP has been slow to act on a previously conducted survey report regarding the encroachment. The Hutatmara Smaraka Samrakshana Trust has also submitted a petition to the government, urging action. The situation highlights a larger concern over the preservation of historical monuments in the city.

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