The valour of Mangal Pandey and the grouse of his descendants

One of India’s greatest martyrs, who laid the foundation for India’s struggle for freedom, was born on 19th July 1827. The spark that he ignited in 1857 did not get extinguished but slowly flared into the flame that finally led to India’s freedom 90 years after the rebellion. Pandey was viewed as a traitor by contemporary British rulers but was seen by Indians as the fearless rebel. SBS Hindi spoke with Mangal Pandey’s fifth-generation descendant Raghunath Pandey, who says, “I am pained to see that martyrs like Mangal have not been given their due honour by the government and the nation.”