In news–The birth anniversary of the 1857 uprising hero and freedom fighter Veer Kunwar Singh was celebrated at Jagdishpur in Bihar as a grand event as part of the Centre’s Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav programme to celebrate 75 years of Independence.
A brief note on Veer Kunwar Singh-
- Kunwar Singh, also known as Babu Kunwar Singh or Kuer Singh, was the king of Jagdishpur and prominent leader during the first war of independence in 1857.
- He was born on 13 November 1777 to Maharaja Shahabzada Singh and Maharani Panchratan Devi.
- He belonged to a family of the Ujjainiya clan of the Parmar Rajputs of Jagdispur, currently a part of Bhojpur district, Bihar, India.
- At the age of 80, he led a selected band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of the British East India Company.
- He was the chief organiser of the fight against the British in Bihar.
- He was assisted by both his brother, Babu Amar Singh and his commander-in-chief, Hare Krishna Singh.
- He was an expert in the art of guerilla warfare.
- Two days later he occupied Arrah, the district headquarters.
- However, Major Vincent Eyre relieved the town, defeated Singh’s force and destroyed Jagdishpur.
- To honour his contribution to India’s freedom movement, the Republic of India issued a commemorative stamp on 23 April 1966.
- The Government of Bihar established the Veer Kunwar Singh University, Arrah, in 1992.
- In 2018, to celebrate the 160th anniversary of Kunwar Singh’s death, the government of Bihar relocated a statue of him to Hardinge Park and the park was also officially renamed as ‘Veer Kunwar Singh Azadi Park’.
Source: The Hindu
