125th anniversary of Saragarhi battle observed in Amritsar
Amritsar, September 10
A congregation was held in Amritsar on Saturday to mark the 125th anniversary of the battle of Saragarhi.
The congregation was held by the Saragarhi Foundation with the support of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh participated in a “Saragarhi March”.
The battle was fought in 1897 between Afghans and 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikh regiment and a cook, stationed near the Samana ridge (now in Pakistan).
The soldiers were assigned the task of defending Saragarhi which was an observation post for ensuring communication between Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan.
They laid down their lives after a fierce battle following an attack by nearly 10,000 Afghans.
Addressing the congregation, SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said the battle of Saragarhi is an outstanding allegory of bravery of Sikh soldiers.
“The Sikhs have always made great sacrifices by taking inspiration from their history but it is sad that today minorities are being suppressed within their own country,” he said.
Dhami claimed that at present “conspiracies” are being hatched to “snatch the minority status of Sikhs” but the community will not allow such mischievous acts to succeed.
He said the glorious history of the Sikh community shows the way to face the challenges of present time and every Sikh should carry this history to the next generation.
Punjab minister Inderbir Singh Nijjer said in his address that the Sikh history is a guide for the youth.
Efforts will be made to include the Saragarhi history in the syllabus of the Punjab School Education Board, he said.
Former Chief of the Army Staff Gen JJ Singh (retd) said the battle is included in top 10 major battles of the world, because during this war only 21 Sikh soldiers fought against 10,000 tribesmen.
