(3)
UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE MOVEMENT IN ASSAM FROM 1921 TO 1947: Resistance in Khasi Hills.
Under the leadership of Tirot Sing, an
indomitable hero of Assam, a movement
for freedom was launched in the Khasi hills in 1829. According to Tirot Singh,
David Scott the Commissioner, formally made friends with him saying “Your
enemy is my enemy” and he would relinquish the Bardowar Revenue, both in money
and paiks. But he had not kept his promise and was going to send troops to the Raja of Ranee who was Tirot Sing’s enemy[1].
According to Tirot Sing he betrayed the
British as they betrayed. He was therefore no longer bound by the treaty to
allow the British to construct a road through his kingdom. "This was
followed by the massacre at Nongkhlaw on 4th April 1829 wherein
the Khasi under Tirrut burnt down the
convalescent camp, set fire to the convicts employed in the construction of road and
hacked to pieces “six hundred Indian sepoys[2]” including
Bedingfield and “lieutenant”[3]Burlton
two British officers who had been there for the recovery of health.”[4]Tirot
Sing had the idea that just by ousting the British from Khasi Hills they would
not be able to stay free for a long time. To get complete independence from the
British they would have to unite to piecemeal the British. Therefore “he sent letters to ex-Raja Chandrakanta Singha, the Bhutias, and the
Singphose, exciting them to throw off the British yoke. In a letter to
Chandrakanta, he wrote:
“The country of the Raja has taken possession by the British. We have been greatly annoyed. We have now
killed the English gentlemen here. Should the Raja now rise and assist us, we
can with the Garrow people descend from the hill[5].”
The chieftains of other places also came to join Tirot
Sing as the British forces marched into their hills. “To make matter worse, the
movement of troops was rendered extremely difficult for the communication had
already cause cut off by the rebels by [6]destroying
bridges, obstructing the roads, and raising palisades[7].
When the British pushed their way towards Nongkhlaw, the capital of Tirot
Sing, they burnt down the Khasi villages, one after another without mercy. In
such circumstances, the other Kasi kings, DewanSing, the Cherra Raja, Sing Manik of
Khyram, Raja of Nuspung, and Barmanik king of Mylleiu were sued for peace and
took refuge under the protection of the British. Tirot Sing continued his garrila warfare up to his surrender. “On 13thjune 1833, after months
of seemingly fruitless negotiations to retain his chiefship Tirot Sing tendered
his submission[8]’’. After
thirty-six years of Tirot Sing’s resistance movement, MacKenzie wrote in his Memorandum on the N.E.
Frontier in 1869, “The khasias, who might, from their warlike character
and tribal organization, have given us more
trouble than any other hill people, have, as we have seen for years
the most peaceable of our subjects[9].’’
References:
[1]. Bengal Secret
and Political Consultation1829, 26 June , No. 2 (H.K. Barpujari, Pol. His. Of
Assam, Vol. I, p-22
[2] SLB, Com.His.
of Assam, P-467
[3]. H.K.Barpujari,
Pol. His.Of Assam, Vol. I, p-22
[4]. Bengal Secret
and Political Consultation 1829, 26 June , No. 2(H.K. Barpujari, Pol. His. Of
Assam, Vol. I, p-22-23)35 (SLB, Com.His. of Assam, P-467
[5]. Bengal Secret and Political Consultation1829, 26
June , No. 2 (H.K. Barpujari, Pol. His. Of Assam, Vol. I, p-22
[6] Assam and
neighboring states , Historical Documents, N.N. Acharya , Macanzies Memorandum on the N.E. Frontier,
1869. P-212
[7] . Comp.Hist.of. Assam, p-139, vol-iv.).
[8] Assam and
neighboring states , Historical Documents, N.N. Acharya , Macanzies Memorandum on the N.E. Frontier,
1869. P-212
[9] Assam and
neighboring states , Historical Documents, N.N. Acharya , Macanzies Memorandum on the N.E. Frontier,
1869. P-212
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