The Modi government is exploring the possibility of declaring Mangarh Hillock a monument of national importance. National Monument Authority chairman Tarun Vijay on Wednesday submitted a report to union minister of culture Arjun Ram Meghwal at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) on the matter, and said doing so, will be a tribute to the tribal freedom fighters who lost their lives.
The hillock, situated at the Gujarat-Rajasthan border, is a site of a tribal uprising where a massacre of over 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters took place in 1913. The place is also known as the Adivasi Jallianwala, and there has been a demand to build a memorial.
Speaking to reporters, Meghwal said that the unsung heroes of the Mangarh hillock massacre have not received the importance in history they deserved. “To pay our tribute to them, on the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, we will positively take forward the report submitted by the NMA Chairperson,” the minister said.
On November 17, 1913, British forces opened fire on tribals gathered at the site who were holding a meeting in protest, led by a leader from the community Govind Guru, killing over 1,500.