Shaheed Smarak, Patna, Pays Homage to the 7 Students Martyred During the Quit India Movement

The movement which played a virtuous role in getting India its independence saw a lot of sacrifices. One of them was the bravery of the seven freedom fighters who laid their lives to get the country its independent status back. To pay homage to these brave souls and to remember their sacrifice forever, there is a Martyrs Memorial in Patna of Bihar honouring them. 

The Quit India Movement saw various hearts coming out and fighting the oppressive British rulers and one of them was Dr. Anugrah Narayan also known as Bihar Vibhuti, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi's principles. To go against the tyranny of the whites, he wanted to hoist the Indian tricolour but was arrested for attempting to do so. As a reaction to his arrest, seven students tried to raise the national flag on their own but were killed in the process. 

To honour them, a Martyr's Memorial is built right outside the Secretariat building in Patna. It is a life-size bronze statue of the seven brave students, who gave their lives in order to ignite the Quit India movement in 1942. The seven martyrs that are showcased in this monument are namely Umakant Prasad Sinha, Ramanand Singh, Satish Prasad Jha, Jagatpati Kumar, Devipada Choudhry, Rajendra Singh and Ramgovind Singh, all from class ninth or tenth at that moment. 

The foundation stone of this memorial was laid on 15 August 1947, by the then governor of Bihar, Jairam Das Daulatram in the presence of then Premier of Bihar, Shri Krishna Sinha and his deputy Anugrah Narayan Sinha. Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury was the sculptor who sculpted these life-sized statues. These figures have the Indian tricolour in the centre stating "country over anything" for the freedom fighters. Initially cast in Italy, the statues were placed in Bihar post-independence and to date remind people of the bravery of those students.