TALES FROM KALAPANI Witness a Punjabi freedom fighter’s life come alive
Heading towards Baddi from Chandigarh, one may zip off on the highway unmindful of a treasure trove— a museum dedicated to freedom fighter and Punjabi poet Dr Diwan Singh Kalepani, who sacrificed his life in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 1944. Built near Siswan village of Mohali district on the Baddi road, barely 15 km from Chandigarh, this institution celebrates Dr Kalepani, who stood up to the Japanese during the World War-II and died in their captivity in the notorious Cellular Jail in Andaman.
Shaheed Dr Diwan Singh Kalepani Museum showcases the life and times of the freedom fighter who was sent to the Cellular Jail from Rangoon (now Yangon) after he spoke against the British while serving in the Army Medical Corps as a doctor.
PRESERVING HISTORY
Dr Kalepani’s selfless service to the humanity and sacrifice would have remained unknown but for the persistent efforts of his family members who decided to build a museum highlighting his contributions. Conceived by his late son Mohinder Singh Dhillon, it was finally completed with the perseverance of his granddaughter Sonia Sandhu and inaugurated in December 2013.
Set amidst verdant surroundings, the museum is an apt tribute to Dr Kalepani who worked for the prisoners in the Cellular Jail and also for the natives of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, besides devoting time to writing poetry in his mother tongue Punjabi.
WHAT'S INSIDE
The museum has been divided into five sections depicting different aspects of Dr Kalepani's life—his timeline, his Punjabiat (love for Punjabi language), his faith, his contribution as a healer and his nationalism.
In the first section, a television screen gives an overview of Dr Kalepani's life along with the important events in India and the world during those times.
The second section highlights his love for Punjab, its language and literature. It shows his writings and his interaction with the famous literary figures of that time.
Being a devout Sikh, the third section is about Dr Kalepani’s faith. It goes on to talk about how he involved all residents of Port Blair to construct a gurudwara.
The fourth section showcases his humanitarian side—how he served people in need and worked at uplifting their life by opening schools and libraries and his social interactions with the local prisoners and their families.
His patriotic fervour is summed up in the last section. Being a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Kalepani was also the president of the Indian Independence League in the Andamans. A replica of the cell, where he was incarcerated by the Japanese has also been created in the fifth section.
The complex also houses a library with articles on Dr Kalepani, books written by him, notes from the archives and other literature are available for the visitors.
DETAILS
Visitors can go to the museum from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Entry is free for everyone. The museum is closed on Monday. Visitors are provided a free guided tour of the museum.
Website drdiwansinghkalepani.org