On November 16, events to commemorate the martyrdom of Uda Devi were held at various places in Uttar Pradesh, including Sikandar Bagh in Lucknow.
- Dalit men and women from UP as well as Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, and Bihar gathered to pay homage to Uda Devi.
Key points
- Uda Devi was a freedom fighter from the Pasi community,.
- Uda Devi is remembered not only for her stories of valour but also for her skill as a leader who managed to mobilise people — specially Dalit women — to take up arms against the British.
- Born in Ujirao, Lucknow, she was part of the royal guard of Begum Hazrat Mahal of Awadh.
- Her husband, Makka Pasi, worked as a foot soldier in the army of Awadh’s Nawab, Wajid Ali Shah.
- Amid the revolt of 1857, on June 10, at Chinhat near Ismailganj, a battle was fought between the army of Lucknow and the British troops led by Henry Lawrence, in which Makka Pasi lost his life.
- The death of her husband spurred Uda Devi on to take up a more active role in the mutiny.
