Mangal Pandey's sacrifices recalled

Bapatla: Secretary of the Forum for Better Bapatla P C Sai Babu said that the rebellion of 1857 was considered the first blow that came to shatter the British rule in India that began on May 10,1857. He said it was popularly known as first war of Indian independence and gave the British rulers jitters as they never imagined that Indians would fight unitedly.

The 162nd anniversary of first war of Indian Independence was celebrated here on Friday under the aegis of Forum for Better Bapatla in the Bapatla town on Friday. The photo of first martyr Mangal Pandey was garlanded and rich tributes were paid to the great leader by P C Sai Babu and Velugu APM Inaganti Lakshmi Kumari.

He said the revolt created a sense of unity and nationality among Indians by uniting them politically, culturally and socially against the foreign rule and added that the first martyr of the revolt was Mangal Pandey and the war was the result of accumulation of many factors over time.

He said some of the other rebellions and leaders included Rani Lakshmibai, Kunwar Singh, Bahadur Shah, Nana Saheb, Tantia Tope and Begum Hazrat Mahal who made tremendous sacrifices for the liberation of our motherland.