Centre to rehabilitate Tantya Tope's heirs

New Delhi, June 19, 2007 (UNI) In the midst of pompous celebrations overthe 150th year of India's First War of Indepedence, a fact thatrankles is that the heirs of Tantya Tope, a frontline leader andmartyr of the 1857 mutiny, continue to languish in squalour and anonymity.The Centre has finally woken up to their plight with Minister ofState for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal announcing a Rs one lakh grantfrom his personal fund and assuring them of suitable arrangementsfor higher education and employment. Taking action on a plea initiated by ''Bismillah: The BeginningFoundation'', Mr Jaiswal said he would personally visit the place ofVinayak Rao Tope (the third generation descendant of Tatya Tope) atLav-Kush Nagar of Bithur in Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh next week.''I will also urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to releasesuitable amount from the PM's Relief fund and provide governmentjobs, if the family members desire,'' he said.The minister said he was releasing Rs one lakh straightaway toVinayak Tope and his wife from his personal account to give thecouple immediate succour.Hailing the efforts initiated by a Delhi-based couple Neena Jhaand Shivnath Jha who had launched a nationwide movement "Andolan EkPustak Se" two years ago to protect those who brought laurels to thenation, Mr Jaiswal said: ''My first priority is to make the familyfinancially viable, get their children admitted for higher educationand provide them employment.''Residing in Kanpur, Tantya Tope's heirs are now struggling toeke out a bare survival. They could not get his pension even aftergiving bribes. Due to the poverty, daughters in the family weredeprived of higher education.In a letter to the Home Ministry, the Jha couple had urged thegovernment to rehabilitate the family in view of the ongoingcelebrations of the 150th anniversary of the 1857 Uprising.''We have also decided to provide monthly financial support toVinayak Rao Tope and his wife Saraswati Devi to protect their familyand provide higher education of their daughters Pragati and Pravritiand son Ashutosh through the sale proceeds of the books -- amonograph on Ustad Bismillah Khan, India Calling and another on LaluPrasad:India's Miracle,'' they said.The couple will also extend financial support for the marriage ofPragati and Pravriti. ''It will be a great tribute to late UstadBismillah Khan and promote his secular philosophy,'' they said.Vinayak Rao Tope, a third generation descendant of Tantya Tope,sells grocery items and earns a pittance -- not enough for thesustenance of the entire family.Vinayak Tope opened a small grocery shop in January last year.Earlier, he was able to get some food from his 'jajmans' (masters)by conducting religious ceremonies from them.Expressing concern, Mr Jaiswal said ''it is unfortunate thatVinayak Rao Tope's wife Saraswati Devi had to pay a bribe to securesanction of pension in 1995 which is yet to see the light of the day.''Saraswati Devi reportedly paid Rs 500 as bribe for pension. Daughter Pragati is a teacher in the Laxmibai School on the salaryof only Rs 600 a month. Her elder sister Pravriti, a graduate, isstill unemployed.In May 1857, when the political storm was gathering momentumagainst the British rule, Tatya Tope won over the Indian troops ofthe East India Company, stationed at Kanpur, established NanaSaheb's authority and became the Commander-in-Chief of hisrevolutionary forces.Tantya Tope, whose real name was Ram Chandra Pandurang, was bornin 1814 at village Gola in Maharashtra. His father, Pandurang RaoTope was an important noble at the court of the Peshwa Baji Rao II.He shifted his family with the ill-fated Peshwa to Bithur where hisson became the most intimate friend of the Peshwa's adopted son, NanaDhundu Pant, known as Nana Saheb.After the reoccupation of Kanpur and separation from Nana Saheb,Tantya Tope shifted his headquarters to Kalpi to join hands withRani Lakshmi Bai and led a revolt in Bundelkhand. He was routed atBetwa, Koonch and Kalpi, but reached Gwalior and declared Nana Sahebas Peshwa with the support of the Gwalior contingent.Before he could consolidate his position, General Hugh Rosedefeated him in a memorable battle in which Rani Lakshmi Baiunderwent martyrdom.After losing Gwalior to the British, he launched a successfulguerilla campaign in the Sagar and Narmada regions and in Khandeshand Rajasthan. The British forces failed to subdue him for over ayear. He was, however, betrayed into the hands of the British by histrusted friend Man Singh, Chief of Narwar, while asleep in his campin the Paron forest. He was captured and taken to Sipri where he was tried by amilitary court and despatched to the gallows on April 18, 1859.