Ferozepur, September 12, 2026 (Vikram Ditya Sharma)
The extraordinary courage and supreme sacrifice of the 21 Sikh soldiers who defended the Saragarhi Fort against nearly 10,000 Afghan tribesmen continue to inspire generations, Punjab Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said on Saturday.
Khuddian paid homage to the martyrs at Gurdwara Saragarhi Sahib during a state-level function organised by the Punjab Government to mark the 129th anniversary of the Battle of Saragarhi.
Addressing the gathering after attending the bhog of Akhand Path Sahib, the minister said the soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment had etched an unparalleled chapter of courage, sacrifice, discipline and devotion to duty.
He said the Punjab Government, under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, was taking steps to connect people, especially the youth, with the state’s rich historical and cultural heritage.
Khuddian said the Saragarhi War Memorial in Ferozepur, built in honour of the martyrs, was the first war memorial of its kind in the world. He noted that most of the soldiers who attained martyrdom in the battle belonged to Ferozepur.
Recalling the historic battle, he said the soldiers continued to defend the fort even after running out of ammunition while fighting in what is now Afghanistan.
Khuddian said the Battle of Saragarhi was among the eight most important wars in the world, as per UNESCO, and the soldiers were awarded the Indian Order of Merit, which was then the highest military decoration.
He urged the youth to draw inspiration from the martyrs and adopt the values of courage, discipline, dedication to the country and loyalty to duty.
The minister also honoured family members of the Saragarhi martyrs with mementoes. Ferozepur (Urban) MLA Ranbir Singh Bhullar, Ferozepur (Rural) MLA Rajnish Dahiya, Guru Har Sahai MLA Fauja Singh Sarari and Zira MLA Naresh Kataria also paid tributes.
Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma, SSP Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, ADC (G) Dr Amandeep Kaur, SDM Ferozepur Abhishek Sharma, GOC Golden Arrow Division Major General Ranjit Singh Manral, Deputy GOC Brigadier YS Sajwan and other officials and dignitaries were present.
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