A solemn function is scheduled to be held on January 30, 2026, at the Balidan Vedi in the State Martyrs’ Memorial at Homfreygunj to mark the 82nd martyrdom anniversary of 44 islanders who were killed at the site in 1944. The observance will commemorate those who lost their lives during a period of wartime repression in the Islands, with floral tributes and religious prayers forming part of the programme.
According to official information, the memorial event recalls the incident of January 30, 1944, when Japanese Imperial Forces executed 44 local residents at Homfreygunj after they had been arrested on charges of espionage. The site has since come to be recognised as a place of remembrance, symbolising sacrifice and the hardships endured by islanders during the Second World War. The annual observance seeks to preserve this chapter of local history in public memory.
The ceremony this year will take place at the Balidan Vedi, a memorial structure within the State Martyrs’ Memorial complex, where dignitaries are expected to offer floral tributes. A religious prayer ceremony is also scheduled, reflecting the solemn nature of the occasion and the intent to pay collective respects to those who died. The programme is designed as a tribute rather than a celebratory event, in keeping with the historical significance of the day.
Homfreygunj occupies a distinct place in the historical landscape of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. During the Japanese occupation of the Islands in the early 1940s, several incidents of arrests, detentions and executions were reported. The execution of 44 civilians at this location is remembered as one of the most tragic episodes from that period, and the memorial has become a focal point for remembrance activities organised by the administration.
Commemorative functions at such sites are aimed at reinforcing awareness about the region’s wartime past among younger generations, while also acknowledging the suffering endured by earlier residents. The annual anniversary serves as an occasion for reflection on the consequences of conflict on civilian populations and the value of preserving historical memory through public observances.
Over the years, the State Martyrs’ Memorial at Homfreygunj has evolved into a site where official and public tributes are paid on significant dates. The Balidan Vedi, in particular, stands as a symbolic structure representing sacrifice. Ceremonial offerings of flowers are a customary gesture of respect, while prayer services underscore the solemn and inclusive character of the observance.
The January 30 observance coincides with a date of national remembrance elsewhere in the country as well, adding to the reflective nature of the day. In the Islands, however, the focus remains on the specific historical episode associated with Homfreygunj and the memory of the 44 islanders who were killed there in 1944.
By continuing to organise such functions, the administration sustains an institutional form of remembrance tied to local history. The ceremony at Homfreygunj this year is expected to follow established traditions, centred on tribute, prayer and collective recollection of a wartime event that remains etched in the Islands’ historical narrative.
