This day, March 29, in 1857, marks what is often referred to as the First War of Independence. Amongst historians, the event is commonly known as the Sepoy Mutiny. Mangal Pandey, an Indian soldier attacked British officers, on this very day.
Pandey was born in a town near Faizabad in what is now eastern Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, although some give his birthplace as a small village near Lalitpur. While there are multiple accounts of the events that unfolded, there is a large consensus that Pandey encouraged his fellow sepoys to rise up against their British officers, attacked two of those officers, attempted to shoot himself after having been restrained, and eventually was overpowered and arrested. He was soon tried and sentenced to death. His execution was set for April 18, but the colonial authorities, fearing the outbreak of a large-scale revolt, moved the date up to April 8.
Also on this day, Utpal Dutt, one of the stalwarts of Bengali theatre of the post-Independence era, was born. He is best known for his role in the 1979 hit film Golmaal. Dutt was a Marxist and was arrested on occasions because of his so-called ‘seditious’ plays. On one such prison experience, Dutt writes in his book, Towards a Revolutionary Theatre, "I am no hero, I hated every minute of my prison time. But the seven months passed off quickly because all the top leaders of the Marxist Party (of India) were already there and there was a lot to learn from them."
