India, Oct. 19 -- During the armed struggle for independence, spanning 1857 to 1858, revolutionaries of Lucknow emerged from diverse backgrounds. This formidable coalition was made up of dispossessed soldiers from the former king's army, serving Indian soldiers from the army of the East India Company, men from the private armies of the ta'aluqdars, and even ordinary citizens. United in a noble quest, these individuals, undeterred by their differing religious beliefs, rallied together to reclaim their homeland. The freedom fighters confronted overwhelming challenges, acknowledging the harsh reality that the ultimate result would be either liberation or death, with the latter being more likely. The prevailing maxim was 'no quarter would be asked for and no quarter would be given', a military term indicating that no mercy would be extended, and no prisoners would be taken, resulting in the death of all opposing combatants, including those who surrendered. Amidst this grim situation, numerous brave Indians made significant sacrifices, often in extraordinary ways; however, they largely remain anonymous and unacknowledged to this day. During the siege of the Residency, a sniper occupied a turret in the Johannes House and fired at British positions within the Residency with uncanny accuracy. Nick-named as 'Bob the Nailer' by the besieged British - such was his proficiency, that his shots could even penetrate doors and windows of the Banqueting Hall, which was being used as a hospital during the siege. 'Bob' directed his deadly fire with unerring aim, sparing no position except the room in which a few Indians were held as state prisoners. As the list of fatalities increased due to this sniper fire, it was decided to demolish the house itself, using 400 lbs of gunpowder. 'Bob' was killed in the ensuing explosion. His actual identity remains a mystery till date. Colin Campbell, the commander-in-chief of the second British relief force, was on his way to assault Sikandar Bagh, after a series of previous victories against Indian freedom fighters. His men came across a man dressed like a 'fakir' (mendicant), his face streaked in the usual manner of 'fakirs', his body smeared with ashes. Sitting on a leopard skin, he paid no attention to the advancing British soldiers, and continued counting his prayer beads. Captain AO Mayne, deputy assistant quartermaster-general, approached him to get a closer look, when suddenly, the hermit reached under the leopard skin, brought out a short blunderbuss and fired at Mayne's chest, killing him instantly. Although the 'hermit' was promptly bayoneted to death, the identity of this dare-devil freedom fighter could never be ascertained. At Sikandar Bagh, the British came across a large Peepal tree, at the base of which, were kept a number of jars containing water. Strangely, several corpses of British soldiers of the Fifty-Third and Ninety-Third regiments were also lying scattered nearby. From the wounds, it was clear that they had been shot from above, possibly when they had approached the tree to get a drink of water. James 'Quaker' Wallace of the Seventy-Second regiment aimed at the tree and let loose a volley of shots, when a body came crashing down. Dressed formally, in a red jacket and silk trousers, carrying a pair of cavalry pistols and ample ammunition, it was a female, who had apparently killed half a dozen British soldiers with her sniper fire. Her background could never be established, although a monument with a bust of this 'unknown heroine' was erected at the site in 1957. It was surmised that she might have been one of the many female Abyssinian guards from Wajid Ali Shah's harem, who had been rendered destitute after Wajid Ali had been deposed. Later, the bust was renamed as being that of Uda Devi, wife of Makka Pasi, a soldier in Begum Hazrat Mahal's army. 'Jamie Green' entered the British camp in Unnao, ostensibly selling plum cakes, which were naturally in great demand from British soldiers, who had been subsisting on a ration of dry beef and biscuits. 'Jamie' moved from tent to tent, selling his cakes and chatting with soldiers in a friendly manner, in fluent English. He was also looking around the camp and mentally noting its details, because he was actually a spy, Mohammad Ali Khan, from the Begum's court at Lucknow. Having an engineering background, he had previously supervised the construction of defensive works in and around Lucknow, in preparation of Campbell's final assault on the city. Unfortunately, the subterfuge of 'Jamie' did not work too well; he was detained shortly and hanged by the British from a tree the very next day, together with his companion. Lucknow had more or less been recaptured by Colin Campbell's forces by mid-March 1858, although skirmishes continued to occur, despite the heavy British presence in the city. After the vicinity of the Iron Bridge had been captured on March 16, two companies of the Twentieth regiment were stationed there, 'partly as a guard and partly to stop the looting'. An old woman was seen pottering around the bridge, but the British piquet paid no attention to her, considering her appearance. The woman was seen collecting rags and rubbish, making small heaps and kept hovering around the fires lit by the British soldiers. The following morning, she seemed to have vanished, and a few soldiers decided to seek out her whereabouts, more out of curiosity than due to any security concerns. Her body was eventually found in an abandoned house nearby, but what caused consternation among the British was that apparently she had been busy constructing a slow wick, consisting of rags and cotton within a bamboo, that led to an enormous mine, with barrels of gunpowder piled one on top of another. The woman had also lit the fuse, but this had extinguished after burning half way. Had the fuse ignited fully, the mine would have brought down the Iron Bridge, and the British soldiers stationed there, possibly 200-300 in number. The circumstances surrounding her death prior to the realisation of her plan were never clarified; however, the suicidal bid of this unidentified martyr to cause significant damage to the marauding British certainly warrants recognition in our historical records. Sadly, the efforts of such nameless bravehearts have predominantly been neglected - remaining unacknowledged and unrecognised to this day. The writer, a former scientist, has authored several books on the forgotten heritage of Lucknow...