1857 Sepoy Mutiny

Last friday, 12th of August, i made it a point to see the movie 'Mangal Pandey'. Whether it was Amir Khan, that drove me to watch or was it my pursuit to witness stories that i have only heard, i dont know. But it was quite an impressive movie, but i did feel that there could have been several improvements. I dont know if it was because of an attempt to reach out to the 'phoren' world and hollywood, that the director and story teller, played down the impact of the East India Company on India.

But thanks to Mangal Pandey, the movie, i have spent quite a bit of time reading up on stuff available on the internet regarding the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. What ever prompted these courageous men to revolt against their masters and whatever prompted them to revolt almost together all over the country, one may never know fully. Since the books of history are always written by the victor, stories of the mutiny are sprinkled with the gore and violence meted out by the mutineers on the english woman and children. But the victors of the 1857 war, could only view it as a revolt against their ideals and values and how man innocent english were butchered and killed.

The war of 1857 was not about killing the innocent and meek, but about driving a foreign force so far away from India, so that they never set foot into this land again. It was about redeeming the humiliation meted out by the white man for over a 100 years. It was about standing up and questioning the death of the 1000s of Indians from the time the East India Company set foot on the Indian soil. It was an attempt to take back what was rightfully ours from a Corporate body that had subjugated an entire race of people on the basis of pure profit.

Thank to Mangal Pandey and the 100s of sepoys who stood to up what was rightfully theirs. Thanks to them for giving up their lives in an vain attempt to gain freedom. Thanks to them the yolk of the Company was destroyed and the rule of Queen started, but it took only another 90 years throw them all out, once and for all.