Assam, situated in the
North-Eastern frontier of the Indian Republic, and long known as the Cinderella
State of India, came into prominence during World War II when Japanese troops
invaded India through Burma and set foot on the Indian soil at Kohima. Till
then the world knew little about her and hardly took any interest in knowing
the people that inhabit this State.
Simple and unsophisticated by nature, the
Assamese people have always evinced keen interest in any matter that affects
them and are always sincere in whatever they do. So, when the call for
sacrifice in the freedom’s struggle of 1942 reached their ears, even village
women- from sixteen to sixty – jumped headlong into the thick of the battle and
laid down their lives for the freedom of their country.
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| Moniram Dewan |
The names of Bhogeswari
Phookanani and Kanaklata will ever remain written in letters of gold in the
history of Assam’s part in the freedom struggle. Assam’s contribution to the
freedom struggle was evident from the days of Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Maniram
Dewan, the first Assamese tea planter was interested in establishing private
tea plantations in Assam. Due to the opposition faced by the British in
establishing private tea plantations, he became hostile to the British and
revolted by opposing their policies.
When the Indian sepoys started an uprising
against the British, he could see an opportunity, and together with other
activists like Piyali Baruah, he conspired against the British. Unfortunately,
their conspiracy came to light and he along with other leaders was arrested.
Maniram Dewan and Piyali Baruah were publicly hanged by the British for
conspiring against them during the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny.
Their death was widely
mourned in Assam and resulted in an open uprising, which was suppressed
brutally. At the turn of the century (1920), Assam joined the freedom movement
led by Mahatma Gandhi. Assamese patriots like Tarun Ram Phukan, Nabin Chandra
Bordoloi, Hem Baruah and others joined the National struggle for Independence.
Even in the 1942 Quit India Movement, a number of martyrs laid down their
lives, of which special mention may be made of Kanaklata, a teenaged girl who
died in police firing while trying to hoist the National Flag at the police station
of Gohpur. Kushal Konwar, another young freedom fighter, was falsely implicated
in a train derailment case by the Britishers and was executed. Besides these,
other incidents like the destruction of a military airstrip at Sorbhog by local
villagers took place. In this way, people of different ethnic groups residing
in Assam jointly participated in the freedom struggle. After Independence,
Gopinath Bordoloi was elected the first Chief Minister of Assam.
Some of the incidences
The tale of Gohpur in the Darrang
district was sadder still. Here, a girl, in the prime of her life, was at the
forefront of a procession heading towards Gohpur Police with the intention of
hoisting the Congress Flag on the Police station building. Undaunted she
proceeded and when the sentries at the Police station saw her paying no heed to
orders, they fired at her and the brave girl with the flag in hand fell down
dead. Similar tragedies were perpetrated in many other places. Bhogeswari
Phookanani was also a victim of military firing.
No amount of repression could
subdue the ardent zeal of those martyrs We lost twenty-seven precious lives and
as many as thirty seven people received injuries from gunshot wounds besides,
quite a large number of persons were wounded by lathi charges which were made
intensively in the localities of North-Lakhimpur, Bihpuria, Dikhowghat, Tezpur,
Behali, Barpeta, Sibsagar, Nitaipukhurihat, Teok, Nowgong, Golaghat, Goalpara,
Nowgong, Chatial, Sarbhog, Dhupdhara, Kharikatia, Roha, Chhaygaon, Panigaon,
etc.
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| Kanaklata |
Some persons were maimed and crippled for life as a result of injuries
received from guns and lathi-charges. Sometimes even innocent persons
became victims of repression. Kushal Konwar’s name will ever remain imprinted
in the hearts of the people. This Ahom young man, it is truly believed, had to
face the gallows for no fault of his.
He was implicated in a train derailment
case. Though there was no conclusive proof of his complicity in the incident,
yet relying on the statement of an approver, Kushal Konwar was charged. As
Sarupathar, where the incident happened, was at that time included administratively
in the partially Excluded Areas, the High court had no jurisdiction over it.
The trial preferred by Kushal Konwar was heard by the Governor of Assam and he confirmed
the judgment of the District Magistrate who had sentenced him to death by hanging.
Another young man of the Plains Tribal Community whose name cannot be forgotten
was Kamala Miri who went on a hunger strike in jail in sympathy with Mahatmaji’s
historic fast in February 1943. He refused to obtain release by signing a bond
of good conduct. All persuasions to make him desist from continuing the hunger strike failed and he died in jail on April 23, 1943. I mention only these
two instances to show that people from all communities joined Assam’s struggle
for freedom and made the supreme sacrifice for the country’s cause.
Another incident which would
never be forgotten was the one which happened in Jorhat Jail. It was alleged
that somebody attempted to set fire to a ward. Nobody knew who spread that
unfounded rumor. But somebody had to be punished in order to strike awe in the
minds of the people and the political prisoners and under-trials were made the
scapegoats for the purpose. It was dusk and the political prisoners were indoors.
All of a sudden the alarm bell was sounded and some policemen and warders entered
the Wards and beat up the prisoners and undertrials indiscriminately with bamboo
lathis and batons. It is still believed that the story of the attempt to set
fire to a ward was a hoax and that the assault on the innocent prisoners and
under-trials was premeditated. About 90 persons received severe injuries in
that assault.
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| Gopinath Bordoloi The first Chief Minister of Assam |
The students of Assam made common
cause with the patriotic people and took a glorious part in the struggle.
Hundreds of students were arrested and convicted. Sometimes the students were
taken in batches in prison-vans and police-lorries too far off places and were
released there. Forced labor was taken recourse to in those days as one of the
methods to punish the participants in the freedom movement.
Villagers residing
near railway lines were compelled to guard the lines for more than a year. No
honorarium was paid to the people for such work. Generally, persons of ages
varying from 16 to 55 were forced to do this kind of work. It is easy to see
how cultivation suffered, as the cultivators after the night vigil over railway
tracks and bridges had not enough energy to work in the field during the day.
Those who refused to do that kind of work were either fined or jailed (source- Assam’s Role in Freedom Movement By Shri BISHNURAM MEDHI Chief
Minister, Assam)
To study more about the history of Assam's contribution to the India freedom struggle some books recommendation given below. These are
also used as references for this article. So, I highly recommend you go through
these books. For details click the book title.