Current Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Mangal Pandey marking his 198th birth anniversary, honouring him as a pivotal warrior of India’s First War of Independence .

 About Mangal Pandey:

• Born on 19 July 1827 in Nagwa, Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh.
• Served as a sepoy in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry of the East India Company.
• He fired at British officers on 29 March 1857 at Barrackpore, protesting the use of greased Enfield rifle cartridges offensive to Hindu and Muslim beliefs.
• His defiance is widely considered the spark that ignited the 1857 Revolt (First War of Independence).
• He was arrested and hanged on 8 April 1857.
• He is viewed as a symbol of resistance and national pride; India issued a postage stamp in his honour in 1984, and a park in Barrackpore is named after him