Lucknow, Aug. 15 -- The rich history of Lucknow contains a treasure trove of incidents and memories associated with the Independence movement but major sites connected with the freedom struggle in the city present a picture of neglect, so much so that many of them do not even have proper plaques to mark their presence. While some of these structures were razed during colonial rule with only their ruins remaining today, a few were converted into government offices after Independence. Some are protected while the rest are in a pitiful state and continue to face the onslaught of time, waiting for attention from the authorities. The Rifa-e-Aam club in Wazirganj is one such site. One would have to look thrice to find the weathered structure standing tall behind temporary shops run by several carpenters. At the entrance, there are a number of old doors behind shops and there is a pool of stagnant water at the location. The structure, which once witnessed a meeting of Annie Besant's Home Rule League and the first convention of the Progressive Writers' Association chaired by Munshi Premchand, has lost all its doors and windows. Dastango Himanshu Bajpai said, "The Home Rule League and Progressive Writers' Association both played an important role in the freedom struggle but the Rifa-e-Aam club continues to be in a sorry state. However, there is a misconception among people that the Lucknow Pact was signed at the club. But as per the proceedings of the joint session of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, it was signed in Qaiserbagh." The Jhandewala Park in Aminabad was the epicentre of major political activities during the freedom struggle, Today, it lies in neglect, encroached on all four sides with garment vendors at its periphery. "It was at Jhandewala Park that Gulab Lodhi, a freedom fighter from Unnao, was shot dead in 1935 for defying the government's order by climbing a tree with a flag. It also witnessed speeches from prominent individuals, including Subhas Chandra Bose," said former head of the modern history department, Lucknow University, Prof Aroop Chakravarti. The condition of Neil Gate, also known as Sher Darwaza, is no better. The first glance reveals posters of office bearers and runners-up in the Central Bar Association election. Several vehicles are parked across the gate. "The (Sher) Darwaza or gateway got its name from the statues of a pair of lions installed on top. General Neil, who was leading the colonial forces outside the Residency, was surrounded and killed behind the gateway by the Indian forces led by Mahmood Mirza," said historian Roshan Taqui. Alambagh Darwaza stood witness to how Indian soldiers prevented the colonial troops from entering the city from November 1857 to March 1858. Today, it is also encroached and vehicles are parked around it. According to historians, it was also called Phansi ka Darwaza for a long time as several rebels were hanged at Alambagh Darwaza. The Tarowali Kothi was used as the headquarters by Maulvi Ahmmadullah Shah and other leaders to plan a rebellion against the British rulers. Now, it has no trace of even a plaque outside the building, which is currently the headquarters of State Bank of India in Lucknow. However, the ruins of the Residency, which the Indian forces captured after the Battle of Chinhat during the First War of Independence following an 87-day siege from July to November 1857, have been conserved and restored by the Archeological Survey of India. When one enters the GPO, a cenotaph near the Mahatma Gandhi statue narrates the history of the court proceedings and the death sentence awarded to revolutionary freedom fighters associated with the Kakori Train Action plan. The Rumi Darwaza has also been restored and conserved by ASI. It was at Rumi Darwaza that the British hanged Agha Mirza Kambalposh, the son of Mahmood Mirza, an officer in the Nawab's Royal army. Musa Bagh, where the Indian forces had offered brave resistance during the 1857 war, is also undergoing restoration. The Dilkusha garden and Kothi saw a major battle between the Indian and colonial forces in November 1857, according to Subhash Kushwaha, a historian and author. Only a few towers and external walls of the Kothi were left after the battle. They are currently in a satisfactory state. Charbagh, a witness to the arrival of several freedom fighters, continues to stand tall though a board about Gandhi and Nehru's meeting is not very visible due to encroachment. Farangi Mahal lacks a cenotaph or plaque at the main entrance about its contribution to the freedom struggle....