The War of Independence of 1857 was a major event against British rule. This Revolution started as a military rebellion, but over time its form changed into a mass rebellion against British power, which was called India’s First War of Independence
Under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Literary Cultural Council of Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, conducted a Pad Yatra recently. This Pad Yatra started from Meerut on May 7, 2022, for remembering brave revolutionaries, who participated in the 165th anniversary of the revolution of May 10, 1857. The Revolution started under the banner of “Chalo Dilli” from Meerut on May 10, 1857, and gradually spread to places like Kanpur, Bareilly, Jhansi, Delhi and Awadh.
On May 11, participants reached Naveen Shahdara in North East Delhi, after walking from Meerut’s Chaudhary Charan Singh University. It passed through Kalipaltan Mandir, New Jail and Surajkund Temple. The Pad Yatra finally culminated at the Red Fort. It was noteworthy that the revolutionaries associated with the war of Independence of May 10, 1857 also came to the Red Fort from Meerut by the same route.
‘We are celebrating the 165th anniversary of the war of Independence of 1857. Meerut was the land of revolutionaries. This Pad Yatra will give a good message to theyounger generation. In the freedom movement, more than six lakh brave revolutionaries had laid down their lives for the country’ — Dr. Kuldeep Kumar Tyagi
Assistant Professor, Department of History, Chaudhary Charan Singh University
Addressing the concluding conference at Red Fort, Convener of Pad Yatra and Chairman of the Department of History, Chaudhary Charan Singh University Professor Vignesh Kumar Tyagi said CCS University organised this Pad Yatra for remembering those great revolutionaries like Mangal Pandey, who sacrificed their tomorrow for our today in a bid to free Bharat from the oppressive imperial power. “This Pad Yatra was conducted for the benefit of today’s generation so that they can learn from the valiant sacrifices of revolutionaries of the First War of Independence. Although this programme seemed impossible to conduct in the scorching heat, the devotion and reverence by our freedom fighters for their motherland kept the enthusiasm high of the participants of the Pad Yatra.”
‘Celebrations of 75 years of Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. Under this, our university organised this Pad Yatra to pay homage to the brave revolutionaries those were involved in the revolution of 1857. We are also doing the work of giving respect to the brave revolutionaries of such anonymous freedom’ — Professor Vignesh Kumar Tyagi Chairman Department of History, Chaudhary Charan Singh University
Professor Vignesh Kumar Tyagi further said that this plan was conceived after deriving inspiration from the grand programme like Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
An elated Dr Kuldeep Kumar Tyagi, member of the Literary-Cultural Council of the University, said that all the participants, drawn from various places of Uttar Pradesh, are extremely fortunate that they became a part of this Pad Yatra. They now know the nation’s history and how revolutionaries laid the seeds for freedom from the British Raj.
‘Many students of our academy participated in this Pad Yatra . I think freedom was not achieved by raising slogans and peaceful movements. For this, many revolutionaries took up arms against the British, whether it was Veer Bhagat Singh or Tatya Tope and lakhs of such revolutionaries. Had it not been for the 1857 revolution, India would not have got independence in 1947’ — Colonel Amardeep Tyagi, Director, Yoddha Academy
“We got the opportunity of Pad Yatra to keep the sacrifice of our ancestors in front of the future generation during the period of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,” said Dr Tyagi.
On this occasion, the faculty comprising Dr Yogesh Kumar, Dr Alpana Kajal, Colonel Amardeep Tyagi as well as hundreds of students of Yodha Academy participated with great enthusiasm.
