In 1824, a military uprising took place in Barrackpore, located in the North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. This insurrection occurred during the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826) and is widely regarded as a foreshadowing of the 1857 revolt.
The Indian troops were hesitant to cross the sea during the Anglo-Burmese War due to cultural taboos associated with crossing the sea. This was accompanied by concerns about Indian soldiers’ transportation and lodging, as soldiers were required to arrange and pay for the transport of their luggage. They were also deeply upset by the paltry salaries being paid to them. As a condition for marching forward, they demanded better war uniforms, doubling of allowances, and better transportation. The British rejected these demands. The sipahis of the 47th, 26th, and 62nd regiments, led by Bindee Tiwari, refused to march with their knapsacks in protest. Later, General Paget, the British Commander-in-Chief, asked the mutinous sipahis to hand in their muskets if their demands were to be met. However, before they could make a decision, Paget launched an attack on the mutinous regiments, killing one hundred and eighty sipahis and some civilians. Bindee Tiwari himself was brutally executed by the colonial authorities.
The uprising of the Sipahis in 1824 marked an important event in the history of the Indian freedom struggle. Its memories still persist in the region.
Source: Indian Culture Portal