Historical Places in Assam in regard to Indian Freedom Movement
1. Judges' Field, Guwahati
The Judges' Field emerged as a significant focal point during India's freedom struggle. This location gained prominence when Mahatma Gandhi re-engaged in active politics in 1928 and issued a call for the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930. The primary objective of this movement was to disrupt the administration through the execution of deliberate acts of civil disobedience. On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi, accompanied by 78 companions, including prominent figures like Sarojini Naidu, initiated a journey from the Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal region of Dandi. This symbolic act aimed to protest against the British-imposed salt tax and regulations. The journey marked the commencement of the Salt Satyagraha, a pivotal episode in India's struggle for independence. In Assam, distinguished leaders such as Hem Chandra Baruah, M. Tayebullah, Bishnuram Medhi, and Ambikagiri Raychoudhury congregated at the Judges' Field located in Guwahati. Here, they openly demonstrated their support for Mahatma Gandhi's Salt Satyagraha. This collective expression of solidarity highlighted the nationwide resonance and unity of purpose that the movement had generated.
2. Rangiya (The Assam Riots)
The Assam Riot is a significant event in the history of Assam's peasant struggle. In 1893-94, the peasants of Rangiya Village in the Kamrup district of Assam rose against the British government. They demanded a reduction in taxation. Sir William Ward, the then Assam Chief Commissioner, had increased taxes by 70 to 80%, thereby pushing the peasants into poverty. The people of Assam, whose livelihood depended on agriculture, were not willing to compromise. The peasants of Assam organized non-revenue campaigns in a few districts, including Rangiya in the Kamrup District. A prominent role was also played by the Raijmel in the peasant uprising. Raijmels were the people's assemblies that served as the local village's judiciary. During colonial rule, the Raijmels also served as a common platform for peasants to protest against issues such as high taxes or revenue rates. The Raijmel decided that the peasants of Rangiya would not pay revenue. A series of demonstrations were organized on 09 December 1893, and on 10 January 1894, thousands gathered near the Rangiya Thana (police station). The protestors shouted that they would not pay increased taxes. As the demonstrators grew in numbers, Deputy Commissioner MC Cabe ordered the military and the armed civil police to open fire on the crowd to disperse them. In the carnage that ensued, a number of people lost their lives. Many leaders were arrested, resulting in the stoppage of the protest. The Assam Riots symbolized the strength and power of the masses and peasants in particular. This incident saw the peasants emerge as a major force, as they confronted the British authorities fearlessly to protest their exploitative demands.
3. Biswanath (Flag Hoisting in Sootea Police Station)
The hoisting of the tricolour on the Sootea Police Station, located in the present-day Biswanath district of Assam, was a crucial episode in the history of freedom struggle in the region.
The Quit India Movement in Assam gathered pace as a result of the able leadership provided by activists such as Pushpalata Das. To express their protest against the imperialist British government, the Assam Provincial Congress Committee resolved to carry out flag hoisting on all police stations in the region on 20th September 1942. A massive crowd gathered in the premises of the thana office in the village and hoisted the national flag on the designated day. According to records, more than five thousand people including men, women and children were present there and they went on a procession around the office post the hoisting, shouting anti-British slogans and ‘Quit India’. The Sootea incident is regarded as the first-ever episode in which the tricolour was hoisted in a Government office by lowering the Union Jack. The protestors also claimed to have declared the independence of the nation.
Unlike the brutal action taken on processions and meetings in the adjacent areas, the Police in Sootea remained calm and no violence was reported. The iron will demonstrated by the protestors in the region played a crucial role in the success of the movement.
4. Barpeta, (Peasant agitation 1869)
Many areas of Assam witnessed peasant uprisings against the oppressive land tax levied by the British beginning in 1864, one of those areas was the Barpeta district in Assam.
In 1869, the colonial authority in Assam increased the rates of land revenue, disregarding the agricultural challenges faced by the region. This led to widespread discontent among the peasants, resulting in revolts against the revenue enhancement. In Barpeta, a public gathering was organised in late January 1869 to protest the increased rates. The Sub-Divisional Officer, Mr. Campbell, instructed the Police Inspector of Barpeta to investigate the gathering and provide the names of prominent leaders. However, the police party, with limited manpower and firearms, was unable to disperse the crowd.
Despite the colonial government's efforts to suppress the movement, they could not completely halt the discontent among the peasants. As a result, the practice of holding Raijmels continued, albeit irregularly. The grievances and dissatisfaction of the peasants persisted, keeping alive their need for collective action and platforms to voice their concerns for the peasant and national struggle alike.
5. Barpeta (Raijmel Revolt at Panagaor Tup)
By virtue of a Resolution in 1870, British Government started categorising the land occupancy and ownership to implement heavy taxation on farmers of Assam through Mouzadari system (*Mouza is a revenue unit and the Head of this unit was called Mouzadar).
Sarukhetri Mouza of the then Kamrup district, under the Barpeta sub division was situated on mostly low-lying land mass and therefore cultivation was difficult other than a few Rabi crops.In general, the occupants in this area were holders of very less land and were basically artisans, whose earned their livelihood by engaging themselves as labour in scattered tiny cottage industries in Sarthebari manufacturing Bell Metal pottery and utensils.
However, with the implementation of the new Act, everyone was brought under Riyati System and the Mouzaders became more powerful with the blessings of the Colonial Government. The Britishers started harassing the people not only by demanding taxes but also seizing the riyati land and property of those who failed to pay the taxes, irrespective of whether one is farmer or a non farmer. Nobody was spared- whether it was Satra’s and Satradhikars- the priests of Satra’s and other religious priests and pujaris, poor people occupying uncultivable low-lying land with watery mass of Sarukhetri Mouza, bell metals Artisans and labourers of Sarthebari village.
Miseries were further compounded by an increase of tax by 60 to 70 percent. By 1892, a few small incidents like resisting to pay taxes started to take place from time to time like other places of Assam and rest of India mobilization for which a kind of uprising and peasants’ revolt was shaping up by 1894 in Sarukhetri Mouza. On getting information on possibility of mass revolt against such taxation, British Administration selected a place with higher land area called Panagaor Tup situated in the southern part of Sarthebari. Currently this place is a township in the East of Lachima Village, on the bank of old Alpa rivers. Britishers established a temporary Police station, with a rest house for higher officials on visit as well as a temporary Jail to forcefully eliminate any possibility of uprising in the area. On the other hand, the deputy commissioner, Kamrup also ordered Army to be deployed for patrolling in the Sarukhetri Mouza. Such action of aggressive handling, inhuman tortures even on slightest resistance or inability to pay the tax for not having any savings, were so rampant that most of the people barring ladies and children had to flee away to secret places or nearby thick forest areas. They even could not come back to celebrate their famous yearly Shri Shri Jagannath Mahaaprabhu Sabhaa Mahotsav which takes place every year on the Maaghi-purnimaa. They secretly cleared up a small area in Heerabari Jungle and completed the essential rituals pujan and Yagyaahuti related to the Mahotsav.
However, such hardship of roaming around jungles to avoid torture by Army and police without proper shelter and sometimes without food did not deter the mobilization for resistance to taxation system. Secret communication with people preparing for such resistance at places like Nalbari, Rangiya, Barkhetri, Barbhag, Dharmapur continued. Meanwhile, in an incident on 21st January 1894 Late Haliram Mandalwho was on a tax collection drive with a group of people was so severely manhandled by angry public of Bannarpar of Kapla village, that he later succumbed to death.
The leaders, on receipt of an advance information that the Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) of Barpeta was visiting Sarukhetri on 24th January 1894, carried out massive mobilization to ask the people to gather in the Panagaor Tupin front of the temporary police station, where they knew that SDO was sure to visit. When SDO reached Panagaor Tup, he was taken aback by huge gathering estimated of more than 6,000 volunteers who came not only from Sarukhetri area but also from distant places like Rangiya, Nalbari, Barpeta, Barbhag, Barkhetri etc. in solidarity with local sufferers. Noticing the aggressiveness of the huge crowd, the SDO did not dare to get down from his horse while addressing the people, in spite of the crowd asking him to get down from his horse as it was an act of disrespect to the community. But SDO ignored their demand. Angry upon such act, one of the brave leaders Puspa Ram Talukdar (popularly known as Puspa Kahar) took a bamboo stick to push him down from the horse and forcefully asked him to talk from the ground.
Not only that, on initiative of Kankata Melki, SDO had to pay fine of Rs 5/- for disrespecting the community. As the situation worsened the SDO had to somehow run away with help of the local ‘Gaobuhra’ – the British Government appointed Village Head.
After this incident a massive search operation took place to arrest about 200 volunteers including leaders like Puspa Ram Talukdar, Ananta Goswami, Debinath Sarmah, Makundaram Talukdar, Achyutananda Goswami, Mangal Talukdar, Sampadram Deka, Bholanath Sarmah, Jogeswar Goswami Satradhikar, Harekrishna Sarma . They were put to inhuman tortures in the temporary jail of Panagaor Tup.
Since Independence 24th January is celebrated to mark this historical event of mass revolt known as ‘Raijmel’ in Assam at Panagaor Tup where it took place.
6. Barpeta (Swadeshi meeting at Barpeta, 1907)
The partition of Bengal, initiated by Lord Curzon, was viewed by the nationalists as a challenge to Indian nationalism and ignited a nationwide anti-British movement and the heightened political atmosphere in Bengal influenced activities in Assam. An example of this was a meeting organised on 28th March 1907, in a local theatre hall in the Barpeta district of Assam.
The meeting, presided over by Srijut Hariprasad Das, the son of Baburam Das (Deputy Inspector of school in Barpeta), saw the attendance of students, teachers and some local persons. It was convened by Rajendra Chandra Das and Ambika Charana Das, students at the local Entrance school. Lectures were delivered by Kandarpa Chandra Das, the seventh master of the Entrance school and Baburam Das, who resigned from his post at the school.
The meeting represented the initiative of the educated class including government officials to create awareness among the people regarding boycott of foreign goods and swadeshi. The student community played a pivotal role in the Swadeshi movement and were effective in promoting the use of swadeshi items and organising protest meetings and further undertook the circulation of political pamphlets.
The partition, that had amalgamated some eastern districts of Bengal with Assam and created a new province known as “East Bengal and Assam”, was finally annulled in 1911.
7. Pathsala (Meeting at Pathsala, 1943)
During the 1942 freedom movement, the women of Assam organised a non-violent protest against the colonial regime.
On January 26th, 1943, a gathering of around thousand people gathered in Pathsala, Barpeta district, to celebrate Independence Day. Because public gatherings were restricted at the time, the women met in a community prayer hall called Namghar, which was regarded as a religious gathering. Chandraprabha Saikiani presided over the meeting, and just as she was about to begin her speech, a group of armed policemen arrived. Samiruddin, the Officer-in-Charge of Pathsala police station, led the officers. He came in with a warrant for Chandraprabha Saikiani and drew her even though she objected to the use of physical force. The officer paid no attention to this. The women there reacted to this and a fight broke out between the two as a result of which Saikiani's clothes were damaged. She was nonetheless taken from there to the police station in that state. The women attempted to free Chandraprabha Saikiani while also attacking the police. These women were later arrested by the police. In addition to Guneswari Nath's arrest, Bhubaneswari Devi also suffered numerous injuries. The women later filed a petition in response to the police assault.
The women of Assam in order to achieve independence, fought valiantly against the colonial system.
8. Sarthebari (Lachima Revolt)
Lachima is a village located in the Sarthebari Sub-division under Sarukhetri mauza of the Barpeta district in Assam. The residents of this area were generally not economically well-off and were adversely affected by the frequent increase of land revenue as imposed by the colonial regime. The British government ordered the Mouzadars and Mandals of Sarthebari to collect revenue effectually. On 21 January 1894, the Mouzadar accompanied by a Mandal went to Kapla village to collect revenue.
The peasants of the area assembled to discuss the grave situation. At that instant, a head constable with four policemen had gone to prevent the peasants from holding the meeting. The crowd which had assembled became furious at the developments. The fierce peasants severely assaulted the Mouzadar and the Mandal. Subsequent to the attack, the Mandal died on 28 January 1894. A total of seventy-five participants were arrested by the police for interrogation and investigation into the matter.
On receiving the news of that incident R. B. McCabe, the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup rushed to Lachima on the evening of 24 January with a party of the 13th Bengal Infantry. The next morning, measures were taken for their arrest and fifty-nine persons were arrested and kept in a temporary lock-up. Then a huge crowd of about 3,000 persons gathered in front of the camp. A memorandum was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner signed by 6,000 peasants, demanding the release of their comrades and revocation of the reassessment order. However, the Deputy Commissioner insisted on the government's demand and warned them of dire consequences in case of the non-payment of revenue. The crowd then became furious and rushed towards him. McCabe ordered a bayonet charge on them and dispersed them from the spot.
Source: Taffazul Haque Choudhury, Contributor for CCRT
9. Darrang (Peasant Agitation in Patharughat, 1869)
The people of the Patharughat region of the Darrang district of Assam participated actively during the freedom struggle. The movement began from the peasant uprising of Patharughat, 1869.
The land of Darrang was under the rule of former kings of the district but with the expiry of the term of 20 years. The land was brought under the scheme of resettlement by the colonial government soon after. The colonial administration of the place increased the revenue demand. The landlords would pay the least and the peasants had to pay the most of the share of the revenue demand. The peasants observed that the intent of the government was to flush away their indigenous traditional farming system and convert peasants into labourers for the tea gardens. The brunt of increased revenue demand made the peasants revolt. They decided to not comply with the revision in revenue rates and refuse the demand. The Deputy Commissioner, Sub- divisional officer and District superintendent of Police were besieged by a furious mob of dissatisfied peasants.
The doubling of revenue rates angered the public and led to their mobilisation. This disgruntlement led to the outbreak of further riots again in 1893. The police opened fire at the crowd which led to the killing of fifteen peasants. Despite the severe repression meted out to the peasants, the nationalist spirit to fight the British was instilled in Assamese people through these peasant uprisings.
10. Darrang (Lalmati Tea Estate and the Non-Cooperation Movement)
Malati Mem was a woman labourer at the Lalmati tea garden in Darrang, Assam. At a very young age, she became an active participant in the national movement. Malati was involved in prohibition work and picketing of liquor shops. She was a leading member of the anti-opium campaign in the tea gardens during the Non-Cooperation movement in 1921. In Darrang district, the movement was led by Omeo Kumar Das, Chandranath Sarma and Lakshmidhar Sarma.
One day when Lakshmidhar Sarma and Omeo Kumar Das were picketing a shop dealing with liquor, Malati Mem objected and was enraged at being prevented from buying liquor. She was soon counselled by Omeo Kumar Das about the harmful effects of liquor, who also convinced her to give it up as her contribution to the movement in April 1921. She realised that purchase of liquor would mean perpetual slavery. She threw away all the liquor bottles in possession and resolved to give up liquor consumption. Later, Malati involved herself in anti-drink campaigns, assisted Congress volunteers, etc.
This incident had a deep impact on her and inspired her to participate actively in the prohibition movement. Whereas Malati was soon hunted down by the police. She will always be remembered as one of the first woman martyrs of Assam in the freedom struggle.
11. (Darrang) Jamuguri Women's Meeting, 1931
The women of Jamuguri, in the Darrang district of present day Assam, organised a meeting on 12th May, 1931 in their village prayer hall to discuss the implementation of the Congress programs during the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Gandhi called upon women to take the lead in picketing liquor and foreign goods shops as a part of the civil disobedience movement. The women of Assam responded with full vigour and participated actively in the civil disobedience movement under the guidance of the Congress party. The women assembled in the Jamuguri village for the meeting and vowed to carry out constructive programmes to support the movement. They pledged to weave for themselves, their friends and families and boycott foreign clothes. A group of 22 women volunteered to spread the idea of civil disobedience throughout the villages. A Women's Committee with Damayantee Saikia as President and Nirmala Devi as Secretary, was formed for this. Various such meetings were held throughout the movement to keep the fire of freedom alive and spread it to every household in India.
12. Darrang (Picketing in Mangaldoi, 1932)
The women belonging to Mangaldoi in the Darrang district of Assam played a remarkable role in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Picketing shops selling liquor, foreign goods and intoxicants was an important facet of the freedom struggle and women were at the forefront of this. On 24 February 1932, Ratnamala Sarma and Tapaswini Sarma were arrested and sentenced to three months of rigorous imprisonment for picketing a shop selling foreign goods. They had also been imprisoned in 1930 for participation in the civil disobedience movement. A procession of women was taken out on 13th March 1932. Many women from Mangaldoi and nearby villages participated in the procession. Amba Devi, Golapi Sonowal and several other participants were arrested for their participation in the procession but were later released.
Processions of a similar nature were taken out on 15th March 1932 on the roads of Mangaldoi town wherein the participants held flags in their hands. These processions of women were dispersed by the police using force. Despite being arrested several times, nothing deterred the women in Mangaldoi from participating in the different stages of the freedom movement.
13. Dibrugarh (The Uprising of 1857)
The arrival of the British in Assam brought a significant change in the political climate. The new administrative policies of the British adversely affected both the ruling class and the common folk of Assam. This became a crucial reason for the uprising in Assam. In 1857, the uprising was initiated by Maniram Dewan, a nobleman, Piyali Baruah, a freedom fighter, and Kandeswar Singha, a King of the Ahom dynasty of Assam, who was deprived of his rule by the British. The revolt was to take place in the Sivasagar and Dibrugarh districts of Assam during Durga Pooja. However, the British came to know about their plans, and the leaders were arrested. In February 1858, both Dewan and Baruah were publicly hanged. Their execution was not received well by the people of Assam, and several tea garden workers mourned their death by not going to work. Their executions led to protests, which were suppressed by the British force.
14. Goalpara
Goalpara, a district in Assam, had uniquely contributed to the first phase of the independence movement. But the scenario changed with a new awakening of patriotism in the people with the birth of the Indian National Congress in Bombay in 1885.
This encouraged the formation of the Assam Association in 1903 to closely pursue political developments. After the Nagpur session of the All India Congress, on October 11, 1920, a special session was held at Guwahati to adopt the resolution of the Non-cooperation movement for the achievement of Swaraj. During this time, the association got merged with the Assam Provincial Congress Committee. The leaders of the association started a struggle with Mahatma Gandhi. Eventually, the association contributed to the Khilafat movement as well. Simultaneously, the movement started in the Goalpara district. In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi visited different regions of Assam, including Goalpara. His visit encouraged people, and the movement gained momentum. In addition to this, other congress leaders like Tarun Ram Phookan, a student leader of Tezpur, Chandra Nath Sarmah, and Nabin Chandra Bardoloi also visited the district to gear up the movement.
Due to a h4 response from the people of the district, the government took serious action. They arrested many leaders of the movement and imprisoned them. Yet many youth organisations in the district secretly continued the underground movement.
15. Golaghat (Participation of Women in Satyagraha in Golaghat, 1940)
The Golaghat Satyagraha was a nonviolent protest of 1940 in Golaghat, Assam. The movement was led in response to the unjust treatment of tea plantation workers by the British tea planters. The protesters demanded better working conditions, fair wages, and an end to the oppressive system of indentured labour.
Women played a significant role in this movement. They actively participated in the protest and were at the forefront of the struggle. They organized meetings, rallied support, and marched alongside men in peaceful demonstrations demanding better working conditions and an end to the exploitative system of indentured labour. They played a crucial role in supporting the families of arrested protesters and in maintaining the continuity of the movement during times of repression by the British authorities. They also provided critical financial support to the movement by boycotting British goods and contributing to the funds raised for the cause. Rani Gaidinliu, Kanaklata Barua, Mukti Konwar, Hemanta Kumari Phookan, Anjali Bora, Gunabala Saikia, Tarunjyoti Saikia, Jayashree Bhattacharyya, Bina Bora, Chandrakala Barua, Jayamala Saikia, Manjushree Saikia, and many other women participated in this movement.
Despite facing repression from the British authorities, the Golaghat Satyagraha was instrumental in bringing about social and political reforms for the tea plantation workers and helped to galvanize the Indian independence movement. It demonstrated that women were not merely passive observers of history, but active agents of change.
16. Golaghat (Meeting at Chinatali Village, 1931)
Various meetings were held by women of Assam during the civil disobedience movement. Amongst them was the meeting at Chinatali village of the Golaghat district convened on 5 July 1931, to discuss and organize political activities and agitations against the colonial government.
The women of Assam responded eagerly to Gandhi’s call for passive resistance to colonial rule. The local women leaders like Mohini Gohain, Darbai Mech and Kironbala addressed the meeting held at Chinatali village, where they appealed to the people to devote themselves whole-heartedly to the prohibition work and the development of cottage industries. They emphasized the need for women to take up spinning and weaving to make fabric for family and friends and boycott foreign goods. The women responded by throwing away their foreign garments and other items and promised to use Swadeshi products. A women's committee was also formed to organize village women for the movement.
Intensive agitation was carried on in the Brahmaputra valley as a part of the civil disobedience movement that began in 1930. Through meetings and organizational activities, women’s power was utilized to popularize spinning and weaving.
17. Golaghat (Agitation in front of Golaghat court, 1932)
The women of the Golaghat district of Assam actively participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1932.
Women were at the forefront of the picketing of shops selling foreign goods, liquor and other intoxicants. Several of those picketing were arrested but nothing dulled their determination. On 16th March 1932, several people holding Congress flags gathered in front of the Golaghat court as a form of protest. Majority of those gathered were women. The police attempted to disperse the gathering and snatch their flags. One of the protesters, Rahila Patra Bora, forcefully resisted the police, after which she was arrested. Along with her, several others were detained, including a woman named Jahamali as well as a minor girl. Later Jahamali was released as she had her baby with her. Rahila, however, was sentenced to six months in prison. She was taken on 2nd April, 1932 to Silchar jail to serve her sentence.
The women in Assam gave themselves fully to participate in the freedom struggle not taking into consideration their age or any other factor.
18. Hailakandi (Rantila (1857 war memorial)
The Cachar region was annexed by the British in August 1832. This upended the traditional political economy of the region and the people of Cachar were sucked into the vortex of the British colonial economy which had devastating effects on Indian lives. The Rantila (Rontilla) war memorial in Hailakandi, commemorates the sacrifices of the patriotic sepoys who rose against the British.
In order to decimate the British h4hold, the Cachar rulers revolted under the leadership of Prince Narendrajit Singh at the Battle of Binnacandy on 12 January 1858, at a time when the whole of North India had been plunged into the 1857 Uprising.
In fact, recalcitrant sepoys had already launched an attack at the Battle of Latoo and began to mobilise towards Cachar in December 1857. To intercept the sepoys, Lt. Ross took a force of seventy-five men and attacked the sepoys at Mohanpur Mouza. While several dozens died, those who had been arrested were executed by being hanged from the branches of a banyan tree that stood next to the Kathakal River. This was to be an exemplary punishment to deter the people of the region and to leave them aghast with fear of British rule.
At the site of this gory encounter stands the Rantila War memorial today, in memory of the sepoys who had been killed.
19. Lumding (Anti-war (World War II) protests)
The World War II was a major event in modern history, and it had a major impact on world politics. When it became apparent that Britain would be going in for the Second World War, the anti-war sentiments in India became quite h4. A major share of resources as well as the postponement of India’s independence struggle would also take a back seat to the war. Lumding in Hojai district, like other places in Assam, was a centre for protests and rallies against the imperialist war.
The Assam Bengal Railway Employees Association quickly spread radical ideas while the Local Congress Committee dominated local politics. On the 23rd April 1939, a public meeting was held in Lumding, and Babu Suddhanshu Bhusan Banerjee, during his presidential speech, remarked that the British Government would not last for long in India.
It was also decided that if any war efforts broke out, they would be resisted by them. Lumding saw a h4 reaction against the war, which was seen in the form of rallies and protest meetings.
20. Jorhat (Ryots of Titabor and the Quit India Movement)
On 8th August 1942, as the call for Quit India Movement was given, the ryots (peasants) of Titabor, Jorhat boycotted the weekly market, and a new market was opened at a nearby sericulture farm by the ryots. Their local leader, Bahadur Goanburha, inspired them to join the movement.
Even before the Quit India Movement, Ryot Sabhas had played an essential role in mobilizing peasants in Assam, especially during Non-Cooperation and Civil-Disobedience Movement. Numerous Congress camps were thus organized in places like Titabor to organize the ryots and guide the movement through them. When the British government prohibited meetings and processions and banned local bodies, War Councils were established to protest such bans. At Jorhat, when the young students came to know about the arrest of the Congress leaders, they began picketing and boycotting educational institutions. Some youth groups resorted to violent modes of protest. Bhuban Handique and Konram Kachari planned to destroy a railway bridge but were unsuccessful.
Local agitations took charge of the independence struggle in the absence of national leaders during the Quit India Movement. The Ryots of Titabor, especially the youth, set an inspiration by powerfully derailing the British administration in the district.
21. Jorhat Central Jail, Jorhat
The Jorhat Central Jail, previously known as the Jorhat District Jail is a remnant of the British Colonial Days. It carries with it the legacy of the freedom struggle of India. Located in the Jorhat district of Assam, the jail was one of the most active centers of the Indian Independence Movement and served as a site of resistance and sacrifice.
Constructed in the colonial era in 1908, the Jorhat Central Jail was opened in 1911, on a plot of land measuring 376 bighas. Several prominent personalities of Assam who were associated with the Independence Movement were imprisoned here, including the former President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed; former Chief Minister of Assam, Gopinath Bordoloi, Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Pitambar Deva Goswami and other eminent personalities. Freedom fighters Kamala Miri and Beja Bauri had breathed their last here. The Jail was also the site where martyr Kushal Konwar was hanged to death on 15 June 1943.
Jorhat Central Jail is over 100 years old and has had a long legacy, history and significance in the Indian Independence Movement. The Jail will now be developed into a heritage site after shifting the current prison to another location in the district.
22. Jorhat (Jorhat Sarvajanik Sabha, 1875)
The Jorhat Sarvajanik Sabha was established by Jagannath Barua, a tea planter, in 1875, in Jorhat district in Assam. Its formation was an important event in the post 1857 period. It was a time when peasant uprisings were gaining prominence and multiple political happenings were shaking up the region. The main objective of Jorhat Sarvajanik Sabha was to provide a platform for the wishes and aspirations of the common masses, and be heard by the British government.
The Jorhat Sarvajanik Sabha was deeply concerned about the issue of partition of Bengal. It worried about the harmful impact it would have on people of Assam, especially in terms of education. Members of the Sabha expressed great apprehensions regarding intentions of the government. The Jorhat Sarvajanik Sabha displayed commendable concern and emphasis on the well-being of common people of the region. The members of the organisation also attended the Indian National Congress in Bombay in 1914.
23. Koliabor (Procession during the Quit India Movement)
The Quit India Movement of 1942 was one of India's most iconic and historic national movements, uniting the country in a cohesive, collective effort to demand independence from British rule. The call to 'Quit India' was heard in various ways, but one of the most potent was through processions. The arrest of Gandhi and other influential leaders on 10th August 1942, shortly after the movement's inception, served as the backdrop for these processions in various districts of Assam.
For instance, in Kaliabor town in the Nagaon district of Assam, on 12th August 1942, over nine thousand people, including many women, carried out a huge procession. They marched around Kaliabor, beginning from Jakhalabandha's Central District Congress Committee office. Thanuram Bhuiya, Mohendra Nath Hazarika, Ganesh Chandra Borthakar, Dandiram Baruah, and others led the procession. The British authorities arrested Thanuram Bhuiya from his home that very night.
The procession in Kaliabor during the Quit India Movement symbolized the strength, spirit and courage of the people of Kaliabor in the face of a formidable foe. Furthermore, their unshakable tenacity and commitment to the cause sent a powerful message to the British administration that they would no longer tolerate British dominance and would go to any length to secure the freedom of their country.
24. Kasturba Gandhi Ashram (Guwahati)
The Kasturba Gandhi Ashram was established in Guwahati, located in the Kamrup Metropolitan district of Assam. It was conceived as a tribute to the brave and noble spirit of Kasturba Gandhi after her demise. The plan for the Ashram was proposed by Amalprabha Das, who was one of the leading forces of the Assam branch of the Kasturba Gandhi Memorial Trust. She travelled to Wardha to meet Mahatma Gandhi and present her proposal for future work to be undertaken by the Trust. Amalprabha’s father H.K. Das donated the land required for the establishment of the Ashram, and it was established in the Sarania Hills, Guwahati. The Ashram was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi himself in January 1946. According to his instructions, the Ashram undertook education of women in accordance with the principles of “Nai Talim”, and also trained its inmates in vocational activities such as beekeeping, weaving etc. The Ashram continues to adhere to the philosophy of Kasturba Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi, undertaking activities for the upliftment of downtrodden sections of society to this day.
25. Sources:
Cachar (Freedom Movement in Cachar Vally)
Barak valley has a glorious legacy of the freedom movement which began in the early part of the 20th century, although the anti-British movement may be traced to the later part of the 19th century. The clarion call of Vande Mataram, the legend of great
martyrdom of Khudiram Bose(1908) reached the valley through the songs sung by folk singerd; the Bengal rebels had used Cachar as a secured shelter; the national figures from the place Bipin Chandra Pal, KK Chanda made Cachar the epicenter in the annals of anti-British activities. The following brief sketch is a compilation.
When Sona Mian Choudhury, a Jaminder of Satkarakandi in Sonai opposed the British annexation of Cachar in 1832, he did not know that he was becoming a part of the movement which was to develop within a century of the British Raj leading to the country's freedom in 1947. Of course, Sona Mian was persecuted and held up in British jail and his rebellion stopped altogether. Lord William Bentinck was the Governor-General of India at that time.
Again, in the heyday of the colonial expansion, there broke Great Mutiny, named Sepoy Mutiny, and its arena was extended to Cachar in 1857-58 with violent operations in several places involving death in encounters, and execution of the rebels by the British authority. The next anti-British movement was led by the Dimasa hero Sambodhan Funglo in the North Cachar Hills (which was within the jurisdiction of Cachar) who had offered the Deputy Commissioner Colonial Boyd a mortal blow leading to his death in Silchar.
Coming over to the 20th century, the first political organization formed in Cachar was Cachar Swadeshi Sabha and Surid Samiti to support the anti-partition movement in 1905. The visit of Bipin Chandra Paul to Silchar in 1906 raised the feeling of patriotism in the mind of the people of the district.
The second session of the Surma Valley Political Conference was organized in 1908 at Karimganj, and the Cachar District Congress Committee was formed in 1920 with Kamini Kumar Chanda as the president. Meantime, the Khilafat Committee was formed in Sylhet and a joint meeting with the Surma Valley Political Conference was held on 19, 20 September 1920, presided over by Maulavi Mohammed Abdul Karim of Sylhet. The session unanimously resolved to launch a full non-cooperation movement against the British rulers.
Boycotting of foreign goods, picketing before liquor shops, installation of charka, use of khadi clothes, the establishment of swadeshi shops, even Swadeshi Bazar (in Bagbari, Karimganj), and relinquishing of government title were taken recourse to. Again, the Surma Valley Provincial Khilafat Conference was held in Jugidahar of Maulavibazar on 7th March 1921 and it was presided over by CR Das. Decisions were taken to organize a movement against the British rule in villages and create a h4 volunteer force.
A host leader of the Khilafat Movement in Karimganj emerged. A similar Khilafat Committee has formed in Silchar also and it was led by Maulana Peer Mohammed Yakub and Khan Bahadur Rashid Ali. Khilafat and Congress workers formed a h4 force of 90,000 volunteers.
Mohammed Gulzar Ali Mazumdar was the Secretary of this volunteer force. Hurmat Ali Barlaskar from Buribail was another important name of the time. Then came forward the Ulama Conference, Jamiat Ulama- Hind to join the movement. One of the elected members was Abdul Matlib Mazumdar from Hailakandi opposing the partition of India on communal lines came forward. The call of the Khilafat movement reached Cachar in 1921 with Mahatma Gandhi visiting Silchar along with the Saukat brothers. Cachar District Congress under the leadership of the President, Shyamacharan Deb, organized non-cooperation and khilafat meetings in the various places of the district. The message of Swadeshi and non-cooperation and khilafat reached every nook and corner of Cachar and hundreds of people joined the anti-British movement courting arrest in Silchar, Barkhola, Katigorah, Udarbond, Lakhipur, Bihara, and many places in Karimganj and Hailakandi subdivision. Punitive taxes were collected from numerous villages.
As recorded in the Deputy Inspector's (Cachar) report dated 20th June, and 30th July 1921, "On the 4th April 1921 there was a Khilapat meeting on the open field (in Barkhola) which was attended by Mr.KK Chanda and others from Silchar. The withdrawal of pupils from school was insisted on by the leading non-cooperators of Silchar."
The same note has it that "12 pupils (of Raja GC School, Barkhola) walked out of the classes with books" on 6th April, following the call by KK Chanda supported by the three members of the school committee, Jatindra Mohan Deblaskar, Munshi Wazid Ali and Tara Charan Chakrabarty, who were forced to resign their membership. The incident marked a new phase in the history of the freedom movement in the context of rural Cachar. The following months were indeed most eventful in Cachar with Sanat Kumar Das in the Udharband area, Jatindra Mohan Deblaskar in the Barkhola, and Satindra Mohan Dev in Silchar organizing anti- British activities. The government, however, did not wait to arrest and send them to Silchar jail. Of course, at the same time (1921-22) the stalwarts of the freedom movements from Brahmaputra valley were also brought as prisoners. They were Kuladhar Chaliha, Bishnuram Medhi, and Tarunram Phukan who formed an intimacy with the trio of the period Sati- Jati-Sanat along with another leader from Lakhipur, Ganga Dayal Dixit.
Subhash Chandra Bose visited Cachar in 1935 which left a tremendous impact on the mass. The visit of Bipin Chandra Paul and Sundarimohan Das in 1928 triggered the anti- Simon Commission agitation in the valley. The pledge of Independence was read out in the meetings in various places on 26th January 1936. By the forties of the 20th century, the youths were enthused by the idea of communism and Surma valley Cultural Squad activities influenced the cultural life in the valley. The Manipuri and Dimasas, and also the tea laborers came under the fold of new brigands. Bir Tikendrajit had a number of followers in the valley that joined the anti-British movement along with the Bengalis. Trade union activities extended to the tea estates particularly in the Chorgola valley in Karimganj which resulted in a great 'Chorgola exodus' in the history of the freedom movement in the region.
The Quit India movement gained momentum with Jamat-ulema-e-Hind and Congress joined hands together. The period preceding the independence and the fateful partition was very important, as the leading organizations, as well as the common public, never approved of the partition, and when the partition became inevitable, attempts were made to retain the entire Surma valley division which included the district of Sylhet (including Karimganj sub-division), and Cachar (including Hailakandi sub-division) within Assam, even though some influential corners were out to get rid of Sylhet, notwithstanding the h4 pressure of the Muslim league to incorporate the entire Surma Valley within Pakistan.
The Cachar Kalyan Samiti under the leadership of Hem Chandra Chakrabarty, Nibaran Chandra Laskar, Bidyapati Singh, Maulavi Abdul Wahab Choudhury, and Nanda Kishore Singh resolved to 'face any challenge in the shape of the referendum 'for maintaining the integrity of the country. The Nikhil Cachar Haidamba Barman Samiti in a convention held at Barkhola on 21st July 1947, under the Presidentship of Manindra Chandra Barman Rajkoar, with Digambar Barman as the Secretary sent a memorandum to Acharya Kripalani, the Congress president, for retention of Cachar within Assam. Memorandum was sent on behalf of the Barujibi Sammelani of Katakhal (dated 23 July 1947; on behalf of the people of Sonai on 22nd July a telegram was sent to Acharya Kripalani; the Cachar District Depressed Class Association had also drawn the attention of the congress leadership towards the conspiracy of transferring Cachar to Pakistan (the matter has been recounted by Vivekananda Mahanta in 'Sylhet Referendum.' souvenir Barak Upatyaka Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan, Karimganj, 2017). The collective effort of the Hindus and Muslims to avert the partition needs to be recorded while recounting the last phase of the freedom movement in Cachar.
A Convention of the Nationalist Muslims was held in Silchar on 20th February 1947, at the behest of Khan Saheb Rashid Ali Laskar who unequivocally opposed the demand for Pakistan. But the partition could not be averted, and only three and a half thana of Karimganj, Badarpur, Ratabari and Patharkandi remained in India by the Radcliffe award. People from the counterpart of Cachar, the Sylhet district were displaced and sought shelter in the territory of their motherland which fortunately was retained within India. They include both Hindus as well as the nationalist Muslims, who never subscribed to the partition on religious grounds, and have still been suffering atrocities and dejection notwithstanding the sacrifice and commitment of their forefathers for the freedom of their motherland.