Rajasthan Govt to contact UK Govt to get names of 24 martyrs of 1857 Revolt

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government is prepared to honour the desert state's role in the 1857 Revolt and is contacting the UK government to obtain the names of 24 freedom fighters who were killed in Auwa Village, Pali District, and who have never been given due credit.

Along with erecting statues honouring the martyrs who rebelled against the British, the state administration also intends to designate these places as heritage villages.

This work has been assigned to Rajasthan Heritage Conservation and Promotion Authority.

Omkar Lakhawat, Chairman of the Authority said that in the Auwa case, the British had imposed the death penalty on 24 revolutionaries and conducted a court martial of rebel soldiers, but the names of the 24 freedom fighters were never made public.

“Now we will raise this demand from the UK Government to make these names public,” he added.

The state government is searching for the records of the 24 freedom fighters who were blown up by cannons in Auwa Village during the revolution.

All related documents are being scrutinised in the Archaeological Survey of India archives as well as in England, going beyond borders.

As the UK Government did not reveal the names of these martyrs hence no information is available about their descendants, said officials.

In 1857, when the revolution was spreading across the country, Auwa in Pali District triggered panic among the British due to its war acumen.

The tale of Thakur Khushal Singh as the commander of the revolutionaries still echoes in every corner of Auwa Village.

In 1857, a military rebellion started in Erinpura in Rajasthan and the rebel soldiers marched towards Delhi via Auwa to participate in the freedom struggle.

Thakur Kushal Singh gave shelter to the rebel soldiers and angered by this, the British army along with the Jodhpur army attacked Auwa.

Thakur Kushal Singh beheaded Jodhpur Political Agent Captain Monck Mason and hung his head on the ramparts of Auwa Fort.

This enraged the British army and they destroyed the entire village with guns and cannons.

They even uprooted the statue of Sugali Mata and took it with them.

The state government will now rebuild the idol of Mata Sugali and install it, said officials.

The British also arrested many revolutionaries and rebel soldiers.

On January 24, 1858, a case of mutiny was registered against 120 soldiers but the 24 revolutionaries were kept in custody for one day.

The very next day, on January 25, 1858, the 24 freedom fighters were killed.

The history of the Auwa rebellion is quite inspiring as the army of Thakur Kushal Singh defeated the army of Maharaja Takht Singh of Jodhpur who fought along with the British and now the Rajasthan Government wants to honour these brave men by acknowledging their contribution and sacrifice.

With inputs from IANS