Havildar Ishar Singh remains an iconic figure for his sheer bravery in the Battle of Saragarhi and a true leader who fought for the comfort and safety of his troops .
Wiki/Biography
Havildar Ishar Singh was born into a farming family in Jagraon tehsil, Ludhiana district, Punjab. He is married to Gurinderpal Singh Josan.
Profession
Ishar Singh dreamed of becoming a soldier and fulfilled his dream by joining the Punjab Border Guard at the age of 18. He spent most of his life on the battlefield with the 165th Regiment. He enlisted in the army shortly after the formation of the 36th Sikh Regiment in 1887.
Soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment, 1896
In August 1897, the 36th Sikh Regiment led by Lieutenant Colonel John Horton was divided into five regiments and sent to the North West Frontier Province. The soldiers were deployed at Samana Hills, Kurag, Sangarh, Satopdar and Saragarhi. Twenty-one soldiers of the 36 Regiment, led by Ishar Singh, were stationed at Saragarhi. Saragahi There is a small village in the border area of Kohat, which is not large and connects Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan. Serving as a common link of communication between all three posts, it was targeted by Afghans and members of the Orakzai tribe.
Saragarhi Map
On September 12, 1897, Gurmukh Singh, the regiment’s signalman, warned Lieutenant Colonel John Horton that Afghans (more than 10,000 men) were moving toward Fort Lockhart. There was nothing Horton could do under the circumstances and he was unable to send any additional troops.
36th Sikh Regiment Soldiers
At this point, leader Ishar Singh and his men decided not to retreat and decided to fight “The Battle of Saragarhi” to the death. In this battle, about 200 Afghans were killed by these 21 brave soldiers.
Battle of Saragarhi
The seriously injured soldiers fought non-stop for 8 hours. When they were out of bullets and shells, they engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Their sacrifice was not in vain and the enemy was ultimately defeated.
Havildar Ishar Singh and his troops
Saragarhi Ruins
Awards
- Indian Order of Merit 3rd Class
die
On September 12, 1897, Ishar Singh died in the “Battle of Saragarhi” in Tila, North-West Frontier Province, British India (now Pakistan).
fact
- British historian Major General James Lunt said that Ishar Singh had a somewhat violent personality and his independent personality caused him to conflict with his military superiors more than once. So, Ishar Singh – annoying in the camp, brilliant on the battlefield.
- In memory of the 21 Sikh soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment, two Saragarhi memorial shrines were built in Ferozepur and Amritsar.
Saragarhi in memory of Gurudwara Amritsar (left) and Saragarhi in memory of Gurudwara Ferozepur (right)
- To pay tribute to the 21 brave Sikh soldiers, September 12 is celebrated as ‘Saragarhi Day’.
- After his death, none of his family members joined the army.
- Many biopics have been made on Harvildar Ishar Singh, but Kesari (2019), starring Akshay Kumar, is the most famous film that managed to attract the masses to the true story of Heroic attention.
Akshay Kumar in Kesari
- He is often confused with Captain Isher Singh, a soldier of the British Indian Army.
- After Havildar Ishar Singh’s death, his brother killed his wife and was imprisoned in Kalapani (Andaman and Nicobar).
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education