User:TEGWA BAHADUR

Assi Varsh Ki Haddi me Jaga Josh Purana tha .Sab

Kahte Hai Kunwar Singh Bada Veer Mardana Tha”.

Veer Kunwar Singh was a brave freedom fighter who fought in

the first freedom struggle in 1857, against the British Regime, at

the age of 80 years. Fighting against British, he is the only

freedom fighter in the world who had offered his injured hand to

the river Ganga after receiving shot in the arm, fired by the

British army. Jagadishpur, is a famous village under the then

Shahabad District (at present Bhojpur) situated at a distance of

25 K.M. from the District Head Quarter, Ara., Where Babu Veer

Kunwar Singh born, his father name was SAHEBJADA SINGH

and mother name was PANNCHRATNA KUNWARI, his

younger brother was AMMER SINGH also a brave freedom

fighter who fought in the first freedom struggle in 1857 with

Veer Kunwar Singh.

The preparation for revolution in 1857 was going

on for several years and a self respecting and sensitive person

like Kunwar Singh was making himself prepared mentally for

his role in the same. He had continued his secret talk with the

persons under jail custody. He had continued his contact with

the revolutionaries. He had decided to participate in the freedom

struggle and his firm decision was not taken all of a sudden.

W.Trailer had received several reports regarding exchange of

information between revolutionary soldiers and Veer Kunwar

Singh. On 29th July, Samuels wrote a letter to the secretary was

making plan to revolt against British since much to the

revolution.

In spite of the information given by the Government

spies, the platoon of Danapur revolted on 25th July and came

under the leadership of Veer Kunwar Singh on 26th July. It was

not a simple task to lead the revolutionaries at the age of 80

years. They besieged Ara on 27th July under the leadership of

Veer Kunwar Singh and this town came under his complete

control. But after many battles, the British Over powered

Jagadispur but Veer Kunwar Singh did not loose his courage.

He reached Sasaram in Rohtas passing through Nokha where the

revolutionaries were waiting for him as a part of their premeditated

plan. Thus, he came outside the boundary of Bihar

and passing through Mirzapur Vijaygarh he reached Reevan,

Robertsganj, Faizabad, and Azamgarh. In the mean time he met

revolutionary leaders and prepared many revolutionary plans

with their support. He gave a tough fight to British Army in

Kanpur. He lit the light of revolt at banda, Gonda, Sultanpur and

Banaras and defeated Dougles. On 20th April, 1858, he reached

Gajipur along with his soldiers. In the mean time, Lugard kept

on chasing him. On 21st April, while he was passing through

Sheopur Ghat (At Balia), the platoon of Brigadier Douglas

opened fire at him with cannon which caused injury to his hand

and he cut off his hand forth with and offered it to Ganga Maiya

and reached Jagdispur. On 22nd and 23rd April being injured he

fought bravely with British Army armed with Sword/Single

handedly drove away the British Army brought down the Union

Jack from Jagdispur Fort and hoisted his flag.

It was 23rd April. This joy celebrated by organizing victory

ceremony on 23rd April, 1857 but Veer Kunwar Singh died on

26th April, 1858.

Sir Auto Travellion has observed it was a consoling

factor that Veer Kunwar Singh was 80 years old at the time of

revolution of 1857. Had he been a youth at that time the English

might have left India in 1857 itself. The fact of the matter is that

this democracy of ours is the blessing of the brave martyrs like

Veer Kunwar Singh and others who had lite the flame of

Freedom of India. Maharani Lakshmibi in the west and Veer

Kunwar Singh in the east sacrificed their lives to break the

shackles of slavery and it became the back ground of our

freedom struggle. But the contribution of Veer Kunwar Singh

and his companions is only this much that he began the struggle

for freedom under his leadership and sacrificed his life bravely.

Undoubtedly this much contribution would have made him

adorable for the obliged citizens of this independent country but

his actual contribution is fair more than this. As a matter of fact,

parallel to his political struggle, Veer Kunwar Singh had made

efforts to establish an ideal structure of Indian politics. If his

effors made in this direction are taken into account many

relevant facts come to free.

From this point of view first of all this fact has to be

reckoned that Veer Kunwar Singh had very seriously fault the

need of the unity between the Hindu and Muslim community.

The unity of both communities was not only a contemporary

necessity for him but he viewed it as a key for the betterment

was not only a contemporary necessity for him but he viewed it

as a key for the betterment and strength of Indian society. Hence

his effort for construction of the secular Indian Society into a

society full of communal harmony may be compared with that

of only two great personalities of our whole Indian history. They

are Akbar the Great and Mahatma Gandhi where one hand,

Akbar followed the path of Sarv Dham Sambhav (All religions

are equal) and became a pioneer of Din-e-Elahi on the other

hand mahatma Gandhi stressed at the oneness of Ishwar and

Allah.

Even if Veer Kunwar Singh has not presented the

philosophical ground of the said unity he led from the front for

the cause of promoting communal harmony social equanimity

and women empowerment and this is worth emulation still

today. Besides Rajputs of his own Caste, the work of including

the downtrodden dalits and deprived persons of society in the

main stream of politics and providing equal status to them in

society intiated by him was later on carried forward by Mahatma

Gandhi, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia who is seen in the form of

movement for social justice led and nurtured by them including

all the leftist parties.

The history of brave persons should not be

concealed; rather it should be given a national importance so

that the present and future generation could be inspired

continuously being their personality and achievement. In view

of these sentiments, Veer Kunwar Singh Club (at present Veer

kunwar Singh foundation) celebrates victory ceremony of Veer

Kunwar Singh in the capital Delhi on 23rd April every year.

Thank You.

Nirmal Kumar Singh, Chairman Veer kunwar Singh

Foundation, New Delhi.9810659729

EMAIL-; nirmal699@yahoo.com ,virkunwarsinghfoundation@gmail.com

web;www.veerkunwarsingh.com