Ganga Baba – An Unsung hero of 1857 War Of Independence

Born – Bithoor, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died – 8th Sept.1859, Chunniganj, Uttar Pradesh
Organization – Nana Saheb Peshwa’s Army,
Movement – First war of independence, 1857

 

Ganga Baba or Gangu Baba was a local hero of the National Uprising of 1857 who belonged to the Dalit community living around Bithoor village of Uttar Pradesh. He was a kind-hearted and brave man. Although he belonged to a low caste community, he commanded respect among all people of the area because of his extraordinary abilities and kind nature.

There are many stories about the bravery and good deeds of Gangu Baba. Once Gangu killed a tiger without an arm. While he was returning from the forest with a dead tiger on his back. Nana Saheb Peshwa then the king of Bithoor passed with his army from that place. He saw Gangu Baba with a tiger on his back. He was extremely impressed and asked Gangu Baba to join his army as he already had initiated a battle against Britishers at that time. Gangu Baba readily accepted and he alone killed 150 British soldiers with his sword. This annoyed the Britishers who announced to arrest him dead or alive. Ultimately they arrested him. The British soldiers tied him to a horse and dragged his body up to Kanpur. Then they hanged him in Chunniganj. This story is part of an oral tradition of the Bithoor area.