Heroes Of India, Indian History
The Great Wazir Ram Singh Pathania
Some acts of bravery are awarded medals or praises, and people remember some for centuries but rarely an act of bravery is worshipped. Wazir Ram Singh Pathania deed something so impeccable that people dedicated a temple for him. His bravery raised him to the status of God.
The year was 1848 and the British East India Company had started expanding. To further their hold on the Princely states, they launched a new decree. Through this, the company can take over the rule of any state with no proper heir to the throne. One of the earliest states to fall under this was the state of Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh. King Veer Singh had recently passed away and had left a ten-year-old boy as his heir. The East India Company seized the opportunity and dethroned the child from the throne. He was given five thousand rupee retirement money but on a condition. The Company wanted the child to leave the kingdom and settle somewhere near the boundary of Nurpur.
Ram Singh Pathania was the minister of late king Veer Singh. Ram Singh's father too had served the same position and had passed the role to his son. After observing the dirty tricks of the East India Company, Ram Singh decided to take matters into his own hands. Yet he did not crave the power or throne. He announced himself as the Wazir (minister) and Veer Singh's son as the King and revolted against the company.
The East India Company knew it would be near impossible to capture Ram Singh and his men in the mountains of Himachal. This group of men was also heavily supported by the locals who would never betray their location. After months of investigation, the company was able to locate one of them. His name was Pahar Chand.
Pahar was a good friend of Ram Singh and was part of his inner circle. There is no proper account as to what the Britishers did to Pahar Singh to speak. The company used a variety of ways to break a person. Pahar Singh could have been tortured or he just sold out, either way, the company was able to extract information from him.
The Britishers came to know that Ram Singh visited a holy place named Dalle ki Dhar once a month during full moon night. The Britishers laid a trap for the next time Ram Singh visited the place. Ram Singh and his men were surprised and outnumbered. More so, they also didn't have any of their weapons. The Company easily captured him and took him for a trial.
After the trial, Ram Singh was sent to the prison of 'Kaala Paani'. These were the jails built on the islands of Andaman and Nicobar. Escape from here was impossible. Later on, the prisoners of Kaalapaani were taken to Rangoon, present-day Burma to work as slaves. This is where Ram Singh was tortured to death.
Wazir Ram Singh Pathania was just 24 years old when he died fighting for the freedom of his motherland. The history books and the national government forget his contribution. But the locals kept passing the tales of his bravery and victory through folklores. They made his statue at the same temple where he was captured. A small gesture that would keep his name and act immortal.