In Punjab, on the occasion of Saragarhi Day today, tributes were paid to the martyrs of the Battle of Saragarhi at its memorial in Ferozepur. In Amritsar, Bhog of Akhand Path Sahib was performed at Saragarhi Gurdwara in the memory of 21 British-Indian Sikh soldiers. They gave their supreme sacrifice while fighting with 10,000 Afghan tribals to defend the Saragarhi Fort in Waziristan on September 12th, 1897.

A state-level programme was organised at Ferozepur in which family members of the martyrs, army officers and a large number of people paid tribute to the brave soldiers. State Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudiyan honoured their family members on the occasion. The Battle of Saragarhi is an unprecedented battle in world military history. It was on this day, 129 years ago, when 21 brave Sikh soldiers under the leadership of Havaldar Ishar Singh of the Sikh Regiment fought to their last breath against the Afghan tribesmen in Samana village of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, presently in Pakistan.

They killed hundreds of attacking tribesmen and foiled their attempts to capture the Saragarhi Fort. They were honoured with the highest Indian military bravery award of those days, the Indian Order of Merit. The award is presently equated to Paramvir Chakra.