London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 23, 2025

Britain to have first ever Sikh statue honouring the Battle of Saragarhi

Britain to have first ever Sikh statue honouring the Battle of Saragarhi

A nine-foot-tall bronze statue of Havildar Ishar Singh, who led 20 Sikh troopers valiantly combating to their final breath whereas defending their sign put up throughout the Battle of Saragarhi in opposition to greater than 10,000 Afghan tribesmen in September 1897, is about to turn out to be the primary monument in Britain particularly honouring the fallen heroes.
The 21 troopers from the 36th (Sikh) Regiment of Bengal Infantry made a valiant final stand combating for greater than six hours to the bitter finish leaving round 180 to 200 Pathan tribesmen lifeless.

The memorial to the battle, the topic of 2019 Bollywood blockbuster ‘Kesari’ starring Akshay Kumar, shall be unveiled subsequent to the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton in September 2021. The gurdwara congregation has up to now raised £50,000 (Rs 48 lakh) of the £100,000 (Rs 97 lakh) whole prices.

Councillors at Wolverhampton Metropolis Council are anticipated to approve proposals at a gathering on November 11 to lease land to the gurdwara for putting in the statue.

The one different memorial to the battle within the UK is a plaque at Uppingham College honouring Colonel John Haughton, the Commandant of the 36th Sikhs who was killed in motion in 1898.

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, whose household hails from Jalandhar, is spearheading the mission. He stated his ardour started 40 years in the past aged 14 on a visit to India when, inside a State Financial institution of India department, he noticed a calendar with a picture of Sikhs standing on ruins and requested the financial institution supervisor what it was. The supervisor stated, “Son, that is your historical past, analysis it.”

“This can be a very proud second for the Sikh neighborhood as as soon as it’s erected will probably be there for generations to come back. These 21 Sikhs may have run away however they didn’t and fought to the final man. The British Empire recognised their sacrifice,” Gakhal stated.

No pictures have been discovered of the Havildar or any of the fallen heroes. “There’s a gentleman in New York who seemed on the surviving family of the 21 troopers and did portrait photos of them based mostly on that,” Gakhal stated.

For the sculptor Luke Perry, it is a “blessing” because it offers him extra freedom in his art work. He has already constructed many of the statue in clay. “He’s not immediately recognisable and so lot of persons are saying it seems like their grandfather so it’s simpler to interact with,” he stated. “This battle is an enormous a part of British historical past nevertheless it’s been forgotten as a result of the British Raj just isn’t taught in British faculties. I’m very glad to be a part of it,” he stated.

Saragarhi researcher, creator and movie producer Capt. Jay Singh-Sohal stated: “Saragarhi was distinctive not simply within the odds – 21 males vs 10,000; but in addition in that the British instantly recognised it as a gallant deed and took nice efforts to recognise it with a view of inspiring others to battle in comparable methods. It is vital we keep in mind this battle and people martyrs who fought for dharam (or righteousness).”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×