Unheard stories of hard-earned freedom

As India steps into her 75th year of independence, it is an occasion to look back at the unbelievable sacrifice and hard work that hundreds and thousands of people – "common people" – had put in to make this freedom possible. While stories of the leaders have been oft-repeated, the uncommon stories of the "common" people have largely remained untold and unrecognized. Such has been the apathy that it can be even termed as a gross injustice, if not anything else. One does not have to go far across the subcontinent to find out those stories. Assam, and for that matter the entire North-eastern region, is replete with numerous such untold stories, stories of extraordinary courage, extraordinary patriotism, and extraordinary sacrifice. Very few even within Assam have heard of the struggle that Gomdhar Konwar and his associates like Dhanjoy Bargohain, Daha Phukan, Khamti Gohain, Madhuram Barbarua, Bhudhar Chandra Barbarua, Kon Barbarua, Bali Barbarua, Lambodar Barphukan, Basa Rajkhowa, Chungrung Phukan, Jugial Gohain, Nomal Phukan and others had launched within less than a year of the British occupying Assam in 1826. Very few have heard that Gomdhar Konwar had died of neglect and lack of healthcare at the Rangpur Jail in Bengal (now in Bangladesh) in 1829. The martyrdom of Piyoli Phukan and Jiuram Dulia Barua as early as 1830 is another chapter hardly finding mention today. Likewise, the peasants' uprisings of Phulaguri (where 39 were gunned down, five hanged and six were deported in 1861) and Patharughat (where at least 140 peasants were massacred in 1894) have remained outside the notice of historians who have documented the anti-colonial struggles across India. About the sacrifices made by the people in the hills of the region – be it in Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya or Arunachal Pradesh – the less said the better. While the stories of the struggle in Manipur have been by and large documented, the several ghastly incidents massacre of hundreds of Nagas, Mizos, Kukis, Khamtis, Adis and Singphos by the British colonial forces are yet to be dug out, researched, documented and brought to the notice of the people of the country. The stories of Tikendrajit, General Thangal, Niranjan Subedar, Kajao Singh and Chirai Naga of Manipur incidentally are available, and historians of Manipur deserve to be congratulated for that. So have been documented the stories of U Tirot Singh, U Kiang Nongbah and Pa Togan Sangma of present-day Meghalaya. But what about the hundreds of Nagas killed in the wars of resistance fought by the people in Khonoma, and other villages of the Naga Hills like Mesomi, Natumi, Seromi, Ghovishe, Yachumi, Mozung, Chinglong, Pangsa, Yongnya and others? What about the brutal killing of Chow Pha Plung Lu Gohain – popularly referred to as Ranuwa Gohain – after he had led a massive attack on a British post at Sadiya in 1839, and killed Colonel Adam White and about 100 British troops? What about the sacrifice of Taji Mederan of present-day Arunachal Pradesh? What about the sacrifices of courageous women like Rupahi Aideo and Lumboi Aideu, and the martyrdom of "ordinary" women like Malati Orang @ Malati-mem, Dwariki Das, Biju Baishnav, Bhogeswari Phukanani, Kumoli Devi, Khohuli Devi, Padumi Gogoi, Kanaklata and the 12-year-old Tileswari Barua – who is yet to be duly recognised as the youngest martyr of India's freedom struggle? While hundreds and thousands of such nameless "common" people – a large number of them were also technically illiterate – had made a tremendous sacrifice for the attainment of freedom of this great country, it is probably time not just to pay tributes to them, but to probably also take stock as to why these stories have remained untold and unrecognized. On this auspicious day, as the country celebrates her Independence Day amid the pandemic situation, it is probably the solemn duty of the Union government as well as the governments of the seven North-eastern states to conduct thorough research of every story of sacrifice and struggle which had contributed towards the peaceful ouster of the colonial rulers and attainment of freedom. Only then shall the festival aptly christened as "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" truly become a festival where every citizen will be able to have a taste of at least one drop of the sweet nectar – "amrit" – that freedom is all about.