London, November 9: To pay homage to the Sikh soldiers who laid their lives in the valorous 'Battle of Saragarhi', the UK government will install a statue of military commander Havildar Ishar Singh. The braveheart Sikh warrior had valiantly led a 21-member regiment of Sikh soldiers when they were attacked by nearly 10,000 Afghans. Saragarhi Day 2020: Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh Pays Tribute to Brave Men of 36 Sikh Regiment, Says 'We Salute Your Bravery'.

The statue, which would be 9 feet tall and be made of bronze, would be installed near the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton. The statue would be unveiled in September, 2021, reports said. This would be the first monument in England honouring Sikh soldiers in British India.

Notably, the Battle of Saragarhi was fought on September 12, 1897. Historians have described it as one of the most valiant clashes in the history. Singh, 21 Jat Sikh soldiers of the 36th (Sikh) Regiment of Bengal Infantry was attacked by 10,000 to 12,000 Afghans.

Before getting martyred, the soldiers were successful in neutralising 180 to 200 of the attacking tribesmen. The battle lasted for roughly six hours. In popular culture, their valour was recently portrayed through the Akshay Kumar-starrer Bollywood movie Kesari.

The proposal to install the statue, near the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, was approved by councillors at Wolverhampton City Council on Wednesday. The move is expected to be appreciated by the Indian community residing in the region.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 09, 2020 04:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).