The Bharatiya Janata Party is celebrating Babu Veer Kunwar Singh, who led a battery of rebels against the East India Company. First War of Independence of 1857 Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh.
As part of the Centre’s Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lead the largest contingent of BJP volunteers that will create a Guinness World Record by collectively waving 75,000 Indian flags in Bihar’s Arrah town on Saturday.
Arrah has a large proportion of Rajput voters, and Veer Kunwar Singh is considered a hero in the region for his act of valor against the British during the War of 1857.
Earlier, the Bihar government used to celebrate the victory of Kunwar Singh over the British rulers, but this time the BJP is going to make the Rajput leader’s birth anniversary a grand event.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and MLAs of his party Janata Dal (United) are not a part of the gala celebrations as the BJP wants to make a political statement with the event.
‘My Hero, My Celebration’
Whose birth anniversary did Nitish Kumar celebrate on 8th April? Ashoka the GreatWho is believed to have ruled over three times more territories than present-day India.
Although during the time of Emperor Ashoka, caste identity was not really prevalent, political leaders claim that he belonged to the Kushwaha caste.
The Kushwaha leaders of the BJP were also not to be left behind, as they celebrated Ashoka’s birth anniversary on various platforms.
There were a lot of accusations and counter-accusations for the celebrations as both the JD(U) and the BJP tried to grab the legacy of the great king, who ruled India between 268 and 232 BCE.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai says that Babu Veer Kunwar Singh had registered a resounding victory against the East India Company on April 23, 1858 and hence his government is celebrating the event. He said that one should not read too much in it.
BJP state president Sanjay Jaiswal said, “We want the new generation to know about the exploits of Babu Veer Kunwar Singh and nothing else.”
Congress leaders in Bihar warned the BJP against making Babu Veer Kunwar Singh a leader of a particular caste as he fought for the country and people of all religions and castes were part of his army.
He raised the sword when many people were giving up
For the benefit of history enthusiasts, Babu Veer Kunwar Singh was 80 years old when he held a sword in his hand. At that time, 80-year-old last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was writing letters with trembling hands, urging native kings to participate in the first war of independence.
Showing Rajput pride, Veer Kunwar Singh was preparing all the countrymen for sacrifice in the face of the war which was imminent.
As expected, the war ensued, and Babu Veer Kunwar Singh led the army from Arrah with accuracy and effectiveness and defeated the East India Company troops several times.
After rebellions in Meerut, Delhi and other parts of the country, Commissioner William Tyler began disarming Indian troops, which provoked both Hindus and Muslims.
The soldiers of Danapur cantonment got a natural leader
Three platoons from the Danapur Cantonment made an open challenge to the British rulers and accepted him as their natural leader along with Babu Veer Kunwar Singh on 24 July 1857.
As soon as the revolutionary army of Danapur reached Jagdishpur, Kunwar Singh left his palace at Jagdishpur and took over the leadership of the army. Similarly, the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar led two thousand cavalry soldiers from Meerut on 11 May 1857.
Kunwar Singh took no time to demolish the British offices by releasing the prisoners from prison and forcing the British and Sikh armies to lay down their arms.
Babu Veer Kunwar Singh became the universal leader of 5,000 revolutionary soldiers of the national independence movement and won the hearts of all Bhojpuri speaking people.
The public gave him the title of ‘Tegwa Bahadur’.
For the British, the city of Ara was a very important place from the military point of view. They wanted to save it at all costs.
Kunwar Singh offered his left hand to the river Ganges
Captain Charles Dunbar, accompanied by a contingent of 500 European white soldiers and Sikhs, sailed from Danapur Cantonment to Arrah on July 29, 1857, to save the lives of the British besieged at Ara House.
His army fought valiantly against Babu Kunwar Singh’s army the night before reaching Arrah, injuring 50 out of 500 soldiers and only three surviving officers reaching Danapur. All the other soldiers, including Captain Dunbar, were killed.
After the death of the captain, the entire Shahabad region became independent. However, this victory was short-lived as Major Vincent Eyre recaptured the city of Ara on August 3, 1857.
During the fight, a bullet hit Kunwar Singh’s wrist. He cut off his left hand and offered it to ‘Maa Ganga’.
He died on April 26, 1858, but became a part of folklore. A state in Eastern India,
This is the time when his exploits must have reached far beyond Bihar and the Bhojpur region. And it is equally true that great freedom fighters like Babu Veer Kunwar Singh should be kept above narrow political debates.
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