If you have been to the recently opened “Amrit Udyan” park in Hengrabari, Guwahati then you might have noticed the statue of the great freedom fighter U Tirot Sing Syiem.
Called the King of Khasis , Tirot Sing ,the valiant freedom fighter is one of the many heroes who is yet to receive his deserving space on Indian History books.
The statue of U Tirot Sing Syiem stands as a huge inspiration. Tirot Sing was a chief of the Khasi people of north-eastern India who fought the British in early 19th century but was captured in January 1833 & deported to Dhaka where he died on 17th July 1835 while in British captivity.
U Tirot Sing Syiem belonged to the Syiemlieh clan and was the Syiem or king of Nongkhlaw, a region in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. As we look back into the history we get to know about how the 1826 Yandabo treaty brought the Anglo-Burmese war and the Brahmaputra valley passed under British control. This gave the British a stronghold to enter into Assam and other parts of the North East. The Surma Valley (in Assam and partly in Bangladesh) had also become a possession of the British. Now with a strategic motive they wanted to connect these two regions for easier transport . For this, they had to construct a road through the Khasi Hills.
The political agent of the British David Scott was the Governor-General’s agent for the eastern region which included Silchar in Assam to Sylhet (now in Bangladesh) in the south and up to Sikkim in the north. And he was also the Special Civil Commissioner of North East Rongpur ( present day Goalpara and Garo Hills) as well as the Sylhet district’s Circuit and Appeal judge. David Scott sought to build a road from Guwahati to Sylhet thereby reducing the travel time through the malaria-infested densely forested region.Scott requested Tirot Sing for permission to construct a road cutting through the hills which belonged to the Khasis. Scott proposed about the idea that in lieu of the permission, Tirot Sing would be given control of the duars (passes into Assam) and also assured of free trade in the region. After an intense discussion Tirot Sing welcomed the idea and gave the British approval for the construction. The road was to run from Rani near Guwahati to Surma Valley passing through Nongkhlow . But after the construction of this road began, Raja Balaram Singh of Rani disputed Tirot Sing’s claim over the duars. When Tirot Sing went to confront him with his troops, the British turned their back and ignored him thereby giving him the hint of their betrayal at the last moment.
British Historian , Sir Edward Gait mentions in his book “the History Of Assam” (1906) that in April 1829, there arose a sense of alarm among the khasis in Nongkhlow when a Bengali peon told them about the ulterior motives for building the road. He also added that the british intended to levy taxes on the locals in addition to subjugating them once the construction was completed. Also, Tirot Sing received the news that the British were bringing in reinforcements from Guwahati and Sylhet. Alarmed at the threat to his kingdom, Tirot called another meeting of the chiefs and ordered the British to leave Nongkhlow but the latter didn’t comply.
Angered by the attitude of the British, on 4 April 1829 Tirot Sing launched an attack on a small group of British officers. Lt Bedingfield was murdered after being lured into a meeting while Lt Burlton was overtaken and killed as he attempted to escape towards Guwahati.
Although shocked by the turn of events against them but the British retaliated immediately. In the intense fighting, the Khasis, though brave and fearless, could not match up to the modern firearms of their enemies. Despite this, Tirot Sing and his troops carried on guerrilla warfare with the British for four years. Tirot Sing was a master in guerrilla warfare tactics .He and his army used the knowledge of their hilly terrain to their utmost advantage. The British were thoroughly shaken by the Khasis. Sustaining a bullet injury, Tirot Sing hid in a cave in the hills. Although injured but his strength and dedication for his kingdom was unshakeable.
However, He was betrayed by a native who had been bribed by the British to give away Sing’s hideout. Sing was forced to surrender on 9 January 1833. After a trial, Sing was subsequently deported to Dhaka where he was held in captivity till his death on 17 July 1835.
Meghalaya government declared 17 July as Tirot Sing Day in honor of the valiant freedom fighter. The state has also instituted a prestigious award Tirot Sing Award for Arts and Literature in his name. In addition a commemorative stamp has also been launched in Sing’s memory. Paying tribute to the hero in 1988, the Government of India introduced a postal stamp in his honour. Girdhar Gomango, the then Union Minister for Communications, released the postal stamp to commemorate the memory of Tirot Sing on July 18.
Hence The story of the Indian freedom struggle in the Khasi hills of Meghalaya would remain incomplete without U Tirot Sing Syiem. An inspiration for generations to come, this khasi warrior’s name should always be remembered as that of the brave fighter who stood for his principles and sacrificed his all for the sake of those principles and kingdom.
