Raipur: Swami Lekhram, who claims he is 112 years old, shared his experiences as a freedom fighter when the British occupied India. Lekhram was speaking at a convention of freedom fighters organized in a private building in Raipur on Kranti Diwas. The conference was attended by freedom fighters from Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, who have not only participated in the struggle but whose parents and other relatives have sacrificed their lives for the country.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Lekhram said, "I was born in a small cowshed in the ashram situated at the confluence of 3 rivers in Allahabad around 1910. My father had died 1 month before my birth. My father was giving a speech in a program about how the British were harassing Indians. After which the British arrested my father from the Nurpur police station. The British tortured my father and he died in jail."
He further said, "My parents have also been freedom fighters. Before independence, the British had blown up many of our relatives with cannons. Since the time of the Mughals, our ancestors have had a lot of lands. If any person used to come to our house, our ancestors would not send them empty-handed.''
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"I was 9 years old when the Jallianwala Bagh massacre happened. In 1919, my grandfather was shot in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. General Dyer surrounded the Jallianwala Bagh. The army was deployed and hundreds of people were present in Jallianwala Bagh at that time. Some people jumped into the well to escape the bullet and some wanted to run away from the wall of the garden but were shot dead. General Dyer did not spare even a single man," he added.
Swami Lekhram said, "When the country became independent, there was nothing in the country. The British had looted India. As soon as the British came to know that the country would be free on August 15, they started taking the treasures of the country."
Swami Lekhram said, "I have met Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru Ji, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Lal Bahadur Shastri many times during different events held those days. During the time of the British, Indians were subjected to a lot of cruelty. Not only the English, but the stooges of the British also used to harass the Indians a lot. Even today India has not changed much. The freedom fighter is not getting the respect they deserve."
