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150-yr-old 'family' of Mangal Pandey
Published on Wed, May 02, 2007 at 09:06, Updated on Wed, Jun 20, 2007 at 11:17 in India section
Tags: War For Independence, 1857 , Balia
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Balia: He's known as India's first freedom fighter, the man who started the sepoy mutiny of 1857. A hundred and fifty years on, Mangal Pandey's birthplace, Balia in Eastern UP- still exists in his shadow.
It's like any other village in Uttar Pradesh, but Nagwa village in Balia (UP) has found a place in India's history as Mangal Pandey's place of birth. And every one wants a piece of history to prove their point.
"We are the real descendants of Mangal Pandey. When people in our family marry, Mangal Pandey's name is taken by the priest as the first ancestor,” one 80-year-old Teraiya Devi states matter-of-factly.
People in this village respect and almost worship their legendary hero like God. And they are intolerant towards any remarks that defame or misrepresent Mangal Pandey’s true identity. The people of Balia had filed a case against Bollywood film Mangal Pandey The Rising for twisting historical facts and showing Mangal Pandey romancing a prostitute in the film. They say he was a martyr and India’s very first freedom fighter.
“We want the government to install his statue in Parliament and issue stamps in his name,” says Balia resident Santosh Pandey.
Most people in Balia have family trees tracing their lineage from Mangal Pandey. Some claim to have an authentic portrait of him while others have certificates making their family, the real Mangal Pandey family.
However, when it comes to quoting historical references, the village people seem confused. “Perhaps Mangal Pandey was a saint,” replies a young boy to his history teacher at a secondary school.
However, some where deep down, the pride is unmistakable. “Even I want to be a soldier, because I want to be like Mangal Pandey and fight for my country,” he tells the camera crew.
In Balia Mangal Pandey's statues are revered. Balia's very existence revolves around this man. Because if it hadn't been for him, this district town in Eastern UP would perhaps never find itself on a map.
But some historians and writers have questioned Mangal Pandey's place in Indian history. They say that way back in 1857 there was no real sense of an India. All that mattered was one's Mulk or the place one came from. So to say that his act of defiance stemmed from nationalistic feelings is a little far fetched. But he will always be remembered as India's first freedom fighter.
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