Babu Kuer Singh freed Ara from Britishers : Nitish

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Jagdishpur ( Bhojpur) : Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on April 23, 2018, said that Babu Kuer Singh led the uprising against the East India Company and defeated the British Army during first war of Independence in 1857. Inaugurating the three – day Veer Kuer Singh Victory Day organized jointly by the Art, Culture and Youth Affairs Department and Bhojpur District Administration at village Dulaur, about 1 km from Jagdishpur, birth place of the hero of the 1857 revolution, Nitish said that Babu Kuer Singh undertook long march of about 2,300 km in Bihar, UP, Awadh and MP during his fight with the English and defeated him at several places.

Babu Kuer Singh also freed Ara from the clutches of the Britishers on April 23, 1858, with the help of every section of the society, said the Chief Minister exhorting the people to follow his ideals and contribute in establishing harmony and peace in the society. He said that the new generation is oblivious of the achievements of Babu Kuer Singh particularly in other states hence he decided to celebrate the Victory Day so that people could know about the contribution of Bihar in the freedom movement even outside the state. He said the role of Babu Kuer Singh would be taught in schools through stories to apprise the new generation about this great warrior who was as young as a 18 year old even at 80.

Nitish said that the Fort at Jagdishpur has been converted into museum where people may know about Kuer Singh and also see literature and weapons related to him. He said that places related to Babu Kuer Singh are being renovated and added that foundation of a number of schemes at an estimated cost of Rs 11.68 crore have been laid while schemes worth about Rs 8.46 crore have been inaugurated.

Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said that 1857 was not ‘Sepoy Mutiny’ but first war of Independence and added India would not have got independence in 1947 if 1857 uprising had not taken place of which Babu Kuer Singh was the hero, a symbol of communal harmony. He had donated 252 bighas of land to a girl of mahadalit community whom Babu Kuer Singh considered his sister and the area is now known as ‘Dusadhi Badhar’, said Modi.

Earlier, Krishna Kumar Rishi, Minister, Arts, Culture and Youth Affairs Department, flagged a ‘Shobha Yatra’ at Shivpur ghat where Babu Kuer Singh had chopped off his bullet hit arms. The Shobha Yatra covering about 30 km reached the Jagdishpur Fort where the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar received it.

Woman and Men’s wrestling, horse riding, Javelin throw competitions and cultural programmes were organized on the first day to mark the occasion. Union MInister Raj Kumar Singh, Jai Kumar, Minister, Industries, Science and Technology, Binod Kumar Singh, Minister, Mines and Geology, Pramod Kumar, Minister of Tourism, Anjani Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary, Chaitanya Prasad, Principal Secretary, Art, Culture and Youth Affairs, Sarita Buddhu, President, Bhojpuri Speaking Union in Mauritius and others also addressed the function.

The Victory Day was also celebrated at Maharaja College, Ara, Veer Kuer Singh College, and Veer Kuer Singh University (VKSU).