The unhappiness of the soldiers first surfaced in 1824 when the 47th Regiment at Barrackpur was ordered to go to Burma. To the religious Hindu, crossing the sea meant loss of caste. The soldiers, therefore, refused to comply. The regiment was disbanded and those who led the opposition were hanged.

The religious sensibilities of the soldiers who participated in Afghan War were more seriously affected. During the arduous and disastrous campaign, the fleeing soldiers were forced to eat and drink whatever came their way. When they returned to India, those at home correctly sensed that they could not have followed caste stipulations correctly and therefore were hesitant to welcome them back into society.

Case of Sitaram who had gone to Afghanistan found himself an outcaste not only in his village but also in his barracks. The prestige of being in the pay of the company was not enough to hold his position in society; religion and caste proved to be more powerful.