ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>S&#256R&#256GA&#7770H&#298 BATTLE OF</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="SRGAZH*,BATTLE"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279S&#256R&#256GA&#7770H&#298, BATTLE OF, a heroic action fought by a small detachment of Sikh soldiers against heavy odds, took place on 12 September 1897 in the T&#299r&#257h region of North-West Frontier Province (now in Pakistan). The heroes of S&#257r&#257ga&#7771h&#299, barely 22 in number, belonged to the 36th Sikhs, since redesignated as 4th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army. During a general uprising of the turbulent Pa&#7789h&#257n tribals of T&#299r&#257h in 1897, the battalion was deployed to defend Sam&#257n&#257 Ridge, a hill feature 8 km in length separating the Kurram and the <u>Kh</u>&#257nk&#299 valleys. The headquarters and four companies were located in Fort Lockhart at the eastern end of the ridge and the other four companies in Fort Cavagnari, commonly known as Gulist&#257n, at its western end, with several smaller outposts at different strategic points. S&#257r&#257ga&#7771h&#299 was a small picket perched on a rocky-rib cropping up transversely across Sam&#257n&#257 Ridge half-way between Fort Lockhart and Gulist&#257n preventing direct communication between the two bases. Overlooking both the wings, S&#257r&#257ga&#7771h&#299, manned by only 20 sepoys (riflemen) and one non-combatant sweeper under the command of Havild&#257r (sergeant) &#298shar Si&#7749gh, was tactically a vital post for communication which in those days was possible only through visual signalling.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Orakza&#299 and Afr&#299d&#299 tribesmen, several thousand strong, attacked Gulist&#257n twice on 3 and 9 September but were repulsed with heavy losses on both occasions. Chagrined at the reverses, they looked for a smaller target to ensure easy success. On the morning of 12 September 1897, they fell upon S&#257r&#257ga&#7771h&#299, a small square, stone block house, and surrounded it making any reinforcement to the besieged impossible. Havild&#257r &#298shar Si&#7749gh and his men, undaunted by the hopeless situation they were in, fought back with grim determination. The incessant fire from the besiegers took its toll, and after a 6-hour-long battle, the only soldier left alive was the signaller, Sepoy Gurmukh Si&#7749gh, who had meanwhile kept the battalion headquarters informed about the situation through messages flashed by flag. At last asking for permission to stop signalling he took up his rifle to join combat. He fell fighting single-handed.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The valour and tenaciousness of the S&#257r&#257ga&#7771h&#299 soldiers won wide acclaim. Each of them was posthumously awarded Indian Order of Merit (I.O.M.). Their next-of-kin were each granted Rs 500 in cash and two squares (50 acres) of land. Their battalion, 36th Sikhs, also received Battle Honours. A memorial in the form of an obelisk standing on a base built with stones from the S&#257r&#257ga&#7771h&#299 post was raised at the site by the government while memorial <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i> were built with public contributions at Amritsar and F&#299rozpur. The Sikh Regiment celebrates 12 September every year as S&#257r&#257ga&#7771h&#299 day.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> St. Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh, <i>India's Fighters</i>. London, 1914<BR> <li class="C1"><i>The Spokesman Weekly</i>. Delhi, 20 September 1971<BR> <li class="C1"><i>Portrait in Courage</i>. D.G.P.C., Delhi<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Narinderpal Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>