Ranchi, Dec. 3: Who’s Albert Ekka? An armyman? A freedom fighter? Or just a muted statue in the midst of a busy crossroad?

“Sab kuch yaad rakhna sambhav nahi hai (it is not possible to remember everything,” a gentleman said curtly, while asked, admitting that he had no clue.

A housewife, busy purchasing vegetables at the market, pondered for a while and then shot a resigned look. “History was not my subject,” she said.

“A freedom fighter,” a student in her early teens replied confidently. A freedom fighter in military uniform? “Well…err…,” she cast a quizzical glance and sped off.

S. Ghose, a teacher, was more articulate. “Ekka was a freedom fighter and was also in the Indian army,” he said. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for fighting in the war of 1972, he went on. Nice try, though it was perhaps 1971 that he had in mind.

J. Tiwari, an advocate, said he knew Ekka was a “tribal hero who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously”. His answer, though, missed the mark when he added that the warrior belonged to the Bihar regiment. Ekka was a soldier who belonged to the 14 Guards and laid down his life in the battle of Hilli during the Bangladesh liberation war of 1971.

The hunt for Ekka’s identity came to an end with Sharmistha, a student of St Xavier’s College, who correctly traced his background. Ekka, she said, was a soldier of the Indian Army and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his valour during the war of 1971.

Lastly, this correspondent was in for some pleasant surprise when Ratan Tirkey, vice president, Jharkhand Janadhikar Party, dwelt at length on Ekka. Besides his heroics, Tirkey said the fighter was buried in Tripura and his grave still exits there. Ekka’s widow had requested the government to hand over her husband’s body but no action has been taken so far, he signed off.