१८५७ का स्वातन्त्र्य समर (वीर विनायक दामोदर सावरकर - अंग्रेजों द्वारा छपने से पूर्व प्रतिबन्धित महाग्रन्थ)

THE ERUPTION
out of his wits at the sight of the fierce-looking Sepoys, im-
plored them for mercy and said, “ If you like you can
kill me in a second. But what will you get by killing
a poor individual like me ? Some other man will come and
take my place. The fault is not mine but of the system
of Government. Then why don’t you spare my life ? ”
At these words, the Sepoys cooled down and remembered
that their real aim was to annihilate the whole system
at once, and returned. But this news reached the officers,
and Sir Henry Lawrence disarmed the regiment by means
of a trick.
But at Meerut, things were taking a more lively turn.
Some Englishmen formed the novel idea of testing if the
Sepoys really objected to the cartridges. And they decid-
ed to force them on a company of cavalry on the 6th of
May. It seems only five of the ninety Sepoys there touch-
ed the cartridges ! Once more the same cartridges were
given them to be used. Again they all refused to touch
them, and went away to their camps. When this news
reached the General, he tried them before a court-martial
and sentenced all the eighty-five Sepoys to rigorous im-
prisonment ranging from eight to ten years !
This heart-rending scene occurred on the 9th of May.
These eighty-five Sepoys were made to stand under the
guard of European infantry and artillery. All the Indian
Sepoys were also ordered to stand by to witness the scene.
Then the eighty-five patriots were ordered to take off
their uniforms. Their uniforms were torn away, their
arms were snatched off; and all the eighty-five were hand-
cuffed. Those hands which so long held only swords to
pierce into the hearts of the enemy, such martial hands
were now loaded with handcuffs ! This sight inflamed
the hearts of all the Sepoys present ; but, seeing the
artillery on the other side, they did not draw their swords
then and there. Then the eighty-five Sepoys were told
that they were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for ten
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