Sikhs Call For Official Recognition Of The Sacrifice Made By 21 Soldiers

July 28, 2010 - PRLog -- THE former head of the British Army, Sir Richard Dannatt, helped launch a special anniversary day to honour and recognise the sacrifice made by Sikhs in the service of the British Army.

Saragarhi Day will mark the anniversary of an eponymous battle in 1897 that saw 21 Sikh servicemen lay down their lives to defend an army post against 10,000 Pashtun tribesmen.

The day will be marked by a series of events across the UK to recognise the contribution Sikh soldiers have made in the past and continue to make today.

Sir Richard joined His Honour Judge Sir Mota Singh QC and Sikh DJ's Tigerstyle at the Imperial War Museum in launching 'Saragarhi Day' and are calling on the Government to officially recognise the sacrifice made by the 21 soldiers.

The battle took place in the North-West Frontier Province, now part of Pakistan, in September 1897.

The 21 brave Sikh soldiers from the 36th Sikh Regiment fought to the death against overwhelming odds and in doing so delayed the tribesmen long enough for reinforcements to arrive and defend nearby forts.

When the gallantry of Saragarhi was recounted it led Queen Victoria to remark: "The British, as well as the Indians, are proud of the 36th Sikh Regiment. It is no exaggeration to record that the armies which possess the valiant Sikhs cannot face defeat in war."

The 21 Sikh soldiers who sacrificed their lives were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the highest gallantry award of that time that an Indian soldier could receive.

Sir Richard Dannatt said: "Sikh regiments have played an enormously important role in the British Army and the soldiers who laid down their lives at the Battle of Saragarhi were immensely brave and loyal.

"The Battle of Saragarhi is not well known and certainly hasn't achieved the recognition of a battle like Rorke's Drift but is an extremely important part of history and should be remembered and thanks paid to the soldiers and their families."

His Honour Judge Sir Mota Singh QC, added: "These 21 brave soldiers laid down their lives to save others and it is really important that Sikhs of all ages recognise the sacrifice that they made.

"We are also asking the Government to formally recognise the sacrifice made by these Sikhs."

The campaign is urging people to pledge their support by logging onto Facebook and searching 'Saragarhi Tradition Never Dies'.

The 21 recipients of the gallantry award were:
* Havildar Ishar Singh (regimental number 165[10])
* Naik Lal Singh (332)
* Lance Naik Chanda Singh (546)
* Sepoy Sundar Singh (1321)
* Sepoy Ram Singh (287)
* Sepoy Uttar Singh (492)
* Sepoy Sahib Singh (182)
* Sepoy Hira Singh (359)
* Sepoy Daya Singh (687)
* Sepoy Jivan Singh (760)
* Sepoy Bhola Singh (791)
* Sepoy Narayan Singh (834)
* Sepoy Gurmukh Singh (814)
* Sepoy Jivan Singh (871)
* Sepoy Gurmukh Singh (1733)
* Sepoy Ram Singh (163)
* Sepoy Bhagwan Singh (1257)
* Sepoy Bhagwan Singh (1265)
* Sepoy Buta Singh (1556)
* Sepoy Jivan Singh (1651)
* Sepoy Nand Singh (1221)

On 12th September 1897, 21 soldiers from the 36th Sikh Regiment of British India defended their army post against 10,000 Pashtun tribesmen in the Battle of Saragarhi, fought during the Tirah Campaign, in the North-West Frontier Province, now part of Pakistan.

The 36th Sikh Regiment of the British Army was created on 20th April 1894, with five companies sent to the North West Frontier in 1897 and stationed at Samana Hills, Kurag, Sangar, Sahtop Dhar and Saragarhi.

The North West Frontier Province was a volatile area where the British had gained partial control.

A series of forts were constructed with two of the forts at Fort Lockhart, (on the Samana Range of the Hindu Kush mountains), and Fort Gulistan (Sulaiman Range).

Positioned a few miles apart they were not visible to each other, therefore Saragarhi was created midway, as a heliographic communication post.

In 1897 an uprising by the tribesmen began and the Pashtuns made several efforts to capture the forts. On September 12, 1897, a force of 10,000 Pashtuns attacked the signalling post at Saragarhi, so that communication would be lost between the two forts.

Led by Havildar Ishar Singh, and with no reinforcements on hand, the soldiers decided to fight to the last to prevent the enemy reaching the forts.

Bhagwan Singh was the first casualty and despite being seriously wounded, Lal Singh and Jiwa Singh carried the dead body of Bhagwan Singh back to the inner layer of the post.

In an act of outstanding bravery Ishar Singh ordered his men to fall back into the inner layer, whilst remaining to fight. However, this is breached and all but one of the defending soldiers were killed, along with many of the Pashtuns.

Gurmukh Singh, who had communicated the entire battle to Colonel Haughton, positioned at Fort Lockhart, was the last Sikh soldier standing.

He is stated to have killed 20 Afghans, with the Pashtuns having to set fire to the post to kill him. As he was dying he was said to have yelled repeatedly the regimental battle-cry "Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal, which means "He who cries God is Truth, is ever victorious."

Having destroyed Saragarhi, the Pashtun's turned their attention to Fort Gulistan, but they had been delayed too long and reinforcements arrived.

The tribesmen stated that they had lost 180 people in the battle, however some 600 bodies are said to have been seen around the ruined post when the relief party arrived.

ENDS