Vande Bharat shines, but Martyrs’ Wall cries for care at the Railway Station

While the railway was ready to run on tracks by the martyrs, the railway station, decorated like a wedding ceremony, and the neglected martyrs’ wall, crying out for care, was a poignant sight.

The day the Vande Bharat Express was virtually flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi for Ferozepur to Delhi, the Cantonment Railway Station was glowing with celebration, with the presence of Union Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu and Congress, BJP leaders, residents, railway officials, and students. The atmosphere felt almost festive. The sleek blue-and-white train gleamed under the platform lights, and excitement sparkled in every corner. Whether someone was actually travelling to Delhi or not hardly mattered. For many, the joy was simply in being part of the moment.

People clicked pictures, recorded videos, and posed proudly, outside the train, inside the train, with the train. A burst of selfies flooded social media within minutes. It was a moment of pride for Ferozepur, and everyone wanted to say, “I was there.”

But in the middle of this enthusiasm, something quietly pained the conscience.

Just a few steps away, on the Martyrs’ Wall (Loco Lobby, Ferozepur), stood the portraits of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Rajguru and Shaheed Sukhdev. Above them, written in Punjabi and Hindi, the words:
“ਸ਼ਹੀਦਾਂ ਦੀ ਧਰਤੀ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਣਾਮ” and “शहीदों की धरती को प्रणाम और वंदेमातरम”. –

Words full of respect. Sentiments full of pride.  Yet the faces of these martyrs appeared faded, worn, neglected — almost asking to be remembered properly. The wall’s condition simply did not match the significance of the occasion. While the station celebrated modern progress, the very symbols of our freedom were left unnoticed. The irony was painful.

Standing there, I felt a strange heaviness. In the land of martyrs, witnessing such disregard made the celebration feel incomplete… almost hollow.

As Ferozepur embraces this proud moment of connectivity and development, let us also remember that no achievement stands taller than the sacrifices that shaped this nation. The Martyrs’ Wall deserves care, dignity, and respect — not just on grand occasions, but every single day.

I sincerely hope the railway authorities will have this wall restored, repainted, and maintained with the honour it deserves. Because true tribute lies not just in slogans and ceremonies, but in how we preserve their memory in the smallest, simplest places.

And perhaps, in doing so, the celebration will finally feel whole.