Margherita's 'Swahid Stambha' suffers neglect & encroachment amid public outcry
Built in 1956 to honour freedom fighters, the ‘Swahid Stambha’ at Margherita Bazaar now stands neglected and encroached upon by local traders who have turned the area into an unsightly mess of filth and illegal shops.;

Swahid Stambha
Doomdooma, July 5: The 'Swahid Stambha', built in 1956 at Margherita Bazaar to honour the valiant freedom fighters who laid down their lives for India's independence, is now languishing in neglect and encroachment and become a symbol of apathy and disrespect.
The memorial, constructed by citizens of the region is now surrounded by filth and unauthorised business activity as local traders, shopkeepers, and businessmen have not only encroached upon the land surrounding the memorial but have also been accused of turning it into a unsightly site paan spits, tobacco stains, littering, etc. The condition of the 'Swahid Stambha' have deeply shocked the conscious section of society.
Although the North Eastern Coal Fields (Coal India Ltd), Margherita, had constructed a small boundary wall around the memorial decades ago, the structure has deteriorated significantly. Cracks have appeared, and the wall now stands in a crumbling condition, unable to protect the sanctity of the site.
According to the office bearers of Margherita Bazaar Committee, multiple shops have illegally extended their businesses onto the land earmarked for the memorial, making it difficult to organise national events like Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti due to space constraints and unhygienic surroundings.
Despite repeated complaints submitted to the Margherita Co-district Administration, Margherita Municipal Board and Margherita MLA Bhaskar Sharma, no concrete action has been taken so far.
Santosh Chetry president of Margherita Bazaar Committee, expressed grief and disappointment over the state of affairs as he strongly condemned the irresponsible behaviour of the local business community and called on all traders and shopkeepers to uphold their civic duty by maintaining cleanliness around the memorial.
Various social organisations and local residents of Margherita have joined in the call, demanding urgent steps to preserve the dignity of this historic site and ensure that the legacy of India's brave martyrs is not forgotten or disrespected.