Meerut (Uttar Pradesh): For the past 166 years, the people of Gagol village in the Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh have not celebrated the Dussehra festival. The village which is situated just 20 kilometres away from the Meerut district headquarters was one of the epicenters of the first war of Independence. The country's first freedom struggle also known as Sepoy Mutiny took place in 1857.
To create a reign of terror and fear psychosis among revolutionaries, nine heroes of the 1857 freedom struggle were hanged to death on the infamous Peepal tree in the village. The nine freedom fighters attained martyrdom on Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra) day. So, the atmosphere turned gloomy and the entire village was mourning the demise of these brave hearts.
Recalling the historical incident, Tashveer Chaprana, a descendant of the great revolutionary and martyr Dhan Singh Kotwal, who sounded the bugle of rebellion against the British empire in 1857, said that the revolution began in Meerut on May 10, 1857.
People from Meerut district and adjoining villages under the leadership of Sadar police station Kotwal (head of the town police station) Dhan Singh stormed and broke open the Meerut jail. The revolutionaries were successful in freeing their comrades from the jail. The revolutionaries of the nearby villages such as Panchli, Nangla, Ghat, Gumi, Noornagar, and Lisadi also participated in the jail-break incident.
Head of the history department at Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut, Vignesh Tyagi, said that the British, in order to show their ruthlessness and trample the revolt, hanged nine freedom fighters under the Peepal tree. It was the Vijaya Dashami day.
Those who attained martyrdom were Ramsahay, Himmat Singh, Raman Singh, Harjeet Singh, Kadera Singh, Ghasita Singh, Shibbat Singh, Bairam and Daryab Singh of Gagol village. Since then, even after the lapse of 166, the people of this village do not celebrate Dussehra.
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