Parveen Kumar
An illustrious chapter of lesser known and unacknowledged sacrifice as part of India’s first War of Independence in 1857 remained uninterred in Ajnala, where Britishers exterminated mercilessly 282 soldiers unarmed, surrendered and unheard.
Moved by the indomitable courage of Mangal Pandey in 1857 and ignited throughout India by uprising in May in Meerut, these brave-hearts mutinied against firangees and deserted the 26th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, stationed at Mian Meer Lahore, after assassinating four British officers including Commanding Officer Major Spencer on 30th July. On 31st July, after these sepoys were spotted at Balghat on the bank of Ravi, Tehsildar Ajnala with the assistance of police and incitement of villagers brutally killed 150 of soldiers who were unarmed. About 35 soldiers were feared to be drowned in Ravi flowing in spate.
The rest of the deserters surrendered meekly, on the arrival of Amritsar Deputy Commissioner who ordered “not to fire”, hoping to be put on trial. In all 282 soldiers were captured and stashed in police station to the brim and of them 66 were thronged in a small room of Tehsil. On the first day of August, D.C. Frederic Henry Cooper manipulated the proceedings and ordered the summary execution of famished and dehydrated mutineers, brought pinioned in batch of 10 each to face the firing squads who killed them with point blank targets.
The figure reveals that 237 were shot dead and 45 died of exhaustion. The soldiers numbering 282 were unceremoniously dumped into nearby deep well — Kalianwala Khuh. On August 1st, 2026, Indian Army, BSF and civilians paid rich tributes to the martyrs of 26th Native Infantry. The commemoration event was supervised by Author with the help of district administration, Army, BSF and local Gurudwara management committee. He narrated the sequence of 1857 massacre on 1st August. A wreath laying commemoration ceremony was organised at Kalianwala Khuh in Ajnala at 10:30 a.m. yesterday. The Shahidan Gurudwara Management committee played a pivotal role in coordinating yesterday’s function.
The wreaths were placed on the memorial well, a symbolic box of mortal remains of 282 soldiers of 26th N.I. was wrapped in yellow cloth and placed on a raised platform outside the well, today by prominent civilians and 17 Rajput here in Ajnala. The ceremony begun with laying wreaths by civilians. This started at 10:30 a.m. The 17 Rajput participated in the commemoration ceremony on behalf of Indian Army.
The 45th Battalion of BSF presented the ‘Guard of Honour’. The Last Post bugle was played by BSF at 10:55 a.m. after the wreaths on the memorial were laid by Army and B.S.F. This was followed by observing 2 minutes silence in the memory of all the martyrs of 26th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, including 282 soldiers. On the occasion, the officials recalled the supreme sacrifice made by the Indian soldiers who vowed to free India from British rule