FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF ASSAM

FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF ASSAM

Lipika Das

Assam, a North-Eastern state of India, actively participated in the freedom struggle movement of India against British rule like other parts of India.

Many eminent persons from this state contributed their cooperation to gain freedom from the hands of the Occidents. The people of the land were suffering from many problems. They were suppressed, oppressed very strictly.

In simple words, the natives feel helpless, hopeless and homeless within their own region. A great number of people lost their lives in order to free their motherland from the outsiders. The movement caught a new track under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.

But unfortunately, very little information can be traced on national sources and the internet also. So, in this article I’m trying to make a list of those warriors who are still neglected and not getting an appropriate place in the pages of history.

I‘m also trying to include a few details about some of them so that knowledge seekers can increase their knowledge level by reading it. Now, let’s have a brief discussion about our Assamese freedom fighters and their role and sacrifices.

In 1228 AD, the Ahoms entered into Assam and established their own kingdom at Charaideo. The Ahom Swargadeus were ruling very nicely and protected their people from severe attacks but it was Bodon Borphukon who invited the Burmese to Assam just to grab the throne.

The Burmese army was more stronger and powerful than the Ahoms and it became impossible for the Ahoms to control the Burmese. So the Ahom king decided to take help from the British East-India Company as they did not have any other option to stop Burmese invasion and to reassure the life of Assamese people from Burmese army. However, Assam (today’s North-Eastern region) was unconquered till the Yandaboo Treaty (1826) of British.

According to this treaty, the whole power over Assam was transferred to the hands of the British. In that way the British entered into Assam but unfortunately, in Assam also they started to show their true colour.

It was Gomdhar Konwar, belonging to the Ahom Royal family, the first Assamese to protest against British administration in 1828. He was supported by his son Harnath Jeuram Dulia Barua, Dhananjoy (Dhanjoy) etc. His revolt was very prominent in Indian history, because in other parts of India, nationalism began after three decades. However, that revolt was successfully by British.

Now let’s move to Swahid Peoli Phukon. As per Indian historians and textbooks, Mangal Pande was the first Indian Martyr who was executed during the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. But it is now proven that it was not Mangal Pande but Peoli Phukon, the first Indian martyr who was executed on 24 September, 1830. But Mangal Pande was executed on 8 April, 1857, after 27 years of Peoli Phukon’s execution.But unfortunately, Mangal Pande was recorded as the first Indian martyr.

The second martyr was Jeuram Dulia Barua. There are lots of references about Assamese people’s protest against British administration but due to some unknown reasons, all those references are still neglected. For example, still, Peoli Phukon did not get his recognition as the first Indian martyr.

In Assam District Gazetteers Sibsagar District part, the 1830 revolt of Peoli Phukon was referred as, “Determined to liberate the country from foreign domination before it was too late, Numali of the Dilihial family, in collaboration with another dianitary of the old realm, Peoli Borphukon, son of Bodon Borphukon, made in 1830 a large scale preparation for a massive armed attack on the British so as to expel them from Assam.”

Maniram Dewan was the first Assamese to establish a private tea garden in Assam. Maniram is regarded as one of the greatest freedom fighters of Assam who was hanged in 1857 for his conspiracy against British authority.

Kushal Konwar is known for his leadership during the Quit India Movement. His leadership made the British furious. On 10 October 1942, a military train got into an accident because of some unknown person’s conspiracy. But British force accused Kushal Konwar as the mastermind of that incident and sentenced him to death by hanging.

Tyagbir Hem Barua, a renowned freedom fighter, social worker, social activist and writer from Sonitpur district, is also regarded as one of the pioneers of the modern literary movement in Assam. After independence, he joined the socialist party and got elected to Lok Sabha from Guwahati.

Bhogeswari Phukanani, one of the prominent martyrs of the Quit India Movement was shot dead during the non-violent protest march against British authority.

Kanaklata Barua, popularly known as “Birbala”, actively participated in the Quit India Movement as the leader of the women volunteers line, holding the National Flag in her hand. She was shot at the Gohpur Police station at the age of 14 and became the youngest assamese martyr.

Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and others also participated in the freedom movement both by their writings and activities. It can be traced easily from their biographies. Their songs, plays, poems strongly portray their deep anguish created by British Raj.

These are only a few names and details about some of them. Later on, we will know the names of the Assamese freedom fighters, martyrs and so on. Here is a list of freedom fighters of Assam (Both male and female):-

• Swahid Piyoli Phukan
• Swahid Maniram Dewan
• Gomdhar Konwar
• Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha
• Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala
• Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi
• Deshbhakta Tarunram Phukan
• Karmabeer Chandranath Sharma
• Deshpran Krishnanath Sharma
• Tyagbir Hemchandra Baruah
• Karmabir Nabinchandra Bordoloi
• Swahid Kushal Konwar
• Swahid Kanaklata Baruah
• Swahid Bhogeswari Phukononi
• Lokbandhu Dr. Bhubaneshwar Baruah
• Dr. Harikrishna Das
• Bir Biplabi Sankar Baruah
• Pandit Kanakchandra Sharma
• Kuladhar Chaliha
• Asompran Bishnuram Medhi
• Bimalaprashad Chaliha
• Rajyapal Mahendra Mohan Choudhury
• Loknayak Amiyakumar Das
• Rashtrapati Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed
• Loksewak Haldhar Bhuyan
• Moulana Toyabulla
• Raghunath Choudhury
• Asomkesari Ambikagiri Raychoudhury
• Itihash Ratna Benudhar Sharma
• Siddhinath Sharma
• Asomsinghi Chandraprabha Saikiani
• Motiram Borah
• Chabilal Upadhyay
• Khagendranath Nath
• Adarsh Purush Kameshwar Das
• Aainjiwi Joychandra Choudhury
• Dr. Ghanshyam Das
• Harendranath Baruah
• Sarbeshwar Baruah
• Prafullachandra Baruah
• Singhapurush Ghoniram Talukdar
• Dr. Homeshwar Devchoudhury
• Gourikanta Talukdar
• Kaliram Barman
• Biswa Goswami
• Kamini Kumar Chand
• Hareshwar Goswami
• Arun Kumar Chand
• Rohini Kanta Hatibaruah
• Naranarayan Goswami
• B.K.Bhandari
• Akshay Kumar Das
• Hem Baruah
• Bagmidhar Nilamoni Phukon
• Pitambar Devgoswami
• Lakshmidhar Sharma
• Rohini Kumar Choudhury
• Chandrasekhar Das
• Mohikanta Das
• Padmadhar Chaliha
• Swahid Kamala Miri
• Karmapran Lakhmidhar Borah
• Rajanikanta Goswami
• Brajanath Sharma
• Dehiram Barman (Deka)
• Mohichandra Borah

These names are collected on the basis of books only. But there are many other freedom fighters also whose names were not recorded and that’s why they are not getting any kind of recognition in national and international platforms till now.

Now let’s check the name of those Assamese persons who got bullet wounds by the British force:-

• Moni Kachari
• Kunda Kachari
• Bhola Nath
• Nathini
• Koli doi Nathini
• Medir Nathini
• Golapi Nathini
• Tulai Nathini
• Chandra Nath
• Doriki Nathini
• Herang Bodo
• Rajendra Prashad Basumotary
• Bhogai Nath
• Gopi Koch
• Joyram Nath
• Kamala Kanta Das
• Mayakishor Thakuria
• Nareshwar Pion
• Gobardhan Das
• Dayaram Nath
• Maina Kachari
• Ramcharan Gowala
• Ram Bhuyan and so on.

These two lists show that our Assamese fighters were also not less than other freedom fighters from other parts of India. It is noteworthy that not only the men but the women fighters also actively took part in the movement and sacrificed their lives in the name of their motherland.

We can’t get them back today but can pay homage by remembering their contributions and by bringing them the recognition exactly what they deserved.

[Writer Lipika Das, Assistant Teacher, Goaltuli Girls’ M.E. School, Goalpara]

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