2 weeks ago
Bihar town Dumraon marks second Independence Day for martyrs
In India, many people celebrate a special day called Independence Day on August 15.
But in a small town called Dumraon, the celebration lasts for two days.
On August 16, the people of Dumraon celebrate again.
They do this to remember four brave young men from their town.
In 1942, these men wanted to show that India should be free.
They marched with thousands of other residents to the town's police station.
They wanted to take down the British flag and put up India's own flag.
The police fired at the crowd, and the four young men lost their lives.
Every year since then, the town remembers them on August 16 with flag-hoisting ceremonies and tributes.
Today, the old police station is a memorial to these heroes.
The town of Dumraon in Bihar's Buxar district holds a second Independence Day celebration on August 16, a tradition spanning over eight decades.
The August 16 ceremony honours four youths — Kapil Muni, Gopal Kahar, Ramdas Sonar, and Ramdas Lohar — who were killed by British police in August 1942.
A crowd of nearly 5,000 residents, including women and children, marched on the British-controlled Dumraon police station after Mahatma Gandhi's 'Do or Die' call to plant the Indian Tricolour.
Accounts differ on whether Kapil Muni planted the flag before being shot; popular accounts say he was shot while carrying it, while local records from the Dumraon Shahid Smarak Samiti say he planted it first.
The former police station is now a permanent martyrs' memorial, officially recognised by the Bihar government in 2015, with life-sized statues of the martyrs installed in 2017.
- Who
- Residents of Dumraon in Bihar's Buxar district, honouring martyrs Kapil Muni, Gopal Kahar, Ramdas Sonar, and Ramdas Lohar.
- What
- A second Independence Day celebration on August 16, commemorating four youths killed by British police in 1942 during the Quit India Movement.
- Where
- Dumraon, Buxar district, Bihar, India, at the former British police station, now the Shahid Smarak memorial.
- When
- Annually on August 16 since 1943; the original shooting occurred in mid-August 1942.
- Why
- To honour the sacrifice of four marchers who defied British authorities while trying to replace the colonial flag with the Indian Tricolour.
Popular revolutionary accounts
Local historical records
How Kapil Muni died during the flag mission
Popular revolutionary accounts
Kapil Muni was shot as he carried the flag, prompting others to step into the line of fire to complete the mission.
Local historical records
Kapil Muni managed to plant the Tricolour atop the police station before falling to police bullets.
Key facts
- Town
- Dumraon, Buxar district, Bihar, India
- Tradition
- Second Independence Day celebration on August 16
- Duration
- Over eight decades
- Original incident
- Mid-August 1942, Quit India Movement
- Martyrs
- Kapil Muni, Gopal Kahar, Ramdas Sonar, Ramdas Lohar
- Size of 1942 march
- Nearly 5,000 residents, including women and children
- State recognition
- 2015, by the Bihar government
- Statues installed
- 2017
Sources
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