User:Uttamphonglo/sandbox

VEER SAMBHUDHAN PHONGLO [[File:Veer Sambhudhan Phonglo|thumbnail|Veer

Sambhudhan Phonglo statue at the heart of Haflong town]] Sambhudhan Phonglo was a freedom fighter who fought for British  during British power in India.

Sambhudhan Phonglo was born in 1850 in the tiny village of Longkhor, near the ancient goddess Ranachandi of the Dimasa Kachari Kings at Maibang in the North Cachar Hills (present Dima Hasao District). His father was Deprondao Phonglo and mother Khasaidi, who had five sons Sambhudhan, Umakant, Ramakant, Ramcharan alias Ramren and Haisholong. Of them, Sambhudhan was the eldest and Haisholong, the youngest. Though the exact date of his birth was not known. Sambhudhan was stated to have born at dawn on the Falgoon Purnima of Indian almanac. He spent his childhood at Longkhor. He then moved over to Gonjung. Hence, he moved to Saupra a small village near Nanadisa. He was restless. He left this place also and shifted over to Semdikhor, near Mahur. While staying in this village, he was married to Nasadi. The village Dihorfonglo, which existed on the bank of the river of Mahur (Dihur or Dihor) was named after Sambhudhan Phonglo. A tank known as Sambhudhan-ni-dikhor, meaning Sambhudhan's tank also existed on the bank of Motinala which had been dug out by Sambhudhan and therefore named after his name. Sambhudhan was very tall, handsome and well made. His eyes were black and ears a bit large in size, His complexion was fair. In 1832, the British annexed Southern Cachar and the Northern Cachar was annexed by the British in 1854 on the death of Tula Ram. But the British acted very treacherously after the annexation of the territory. They did not tag the Northern Cachar with South Cachar, but unscrupulously annexed the territory to the district of Nowgong. The territory was then placed under the charge of a Junior Political Officer with headquarters at Asalu. Subsequently, in 1866, this territory had been sliced away and distributed among the neighboring district of Nowgong and Naga Hills. Thus, while parts of the Diyung Valley and the Kopili Valley had been given to the district of Nowgong, a large portion was joined with the newly created district of Naga Hills. The rest formed the territory of the North Cachar Hills comprising exclusively the hilly region. Sambhudhan Phonglo was not happy with the divide and rule policy of the British, which was intended to weaken the native people. He could not console his mind that the Whites should rule the non-whites. He pondered over the matter and took the view that if the native people were going to lose freedom, why should they help the foreign power to consolidate its position? To lose freedom was to embrace slavery. Would it be worth-while for them to live under the aliens as slaves? Hardships could be endured but not slavery. Sambhudhan therefore decided to go rebellious. He observed that though the British had annexed the territory, they were yet to conquer the heart of the native people. He therefore considered that everything was not already lost. He resolved to prepare for a last-ditch battle. Sambhudhan toured extensively in the North Cachar Hills for mass contact and organization. He, therefore, succeeded in inspiring the villagers to raise their voice against the British. He was able to recruit a large number of youths to form revolutionary force. From among his followers, he selected two- Man Singh and Molongthong and appointed Man Singh as Principal Adviser and Molongthong a Subordinate Commander under him. When he found that he had succeeded in enrolling a sufficient number of youths, he decided to impart them training in batches at a selected place. The Mahur Valley where his village Semdikhor situated was not an inconvenient place for establishment of his training centre. But a devotee of Siva, Sambhudhan preferred Maibang. Villagers came forward voluntarily and rendered their services to the training centre. While at Mahur, the recruited youths were living scattered here and there in their own villages. But after his establishment at Maibang, they were brought to the training centre in batches-each batch consisting of thirty to forty for training at a time. More new youths came voluntarily at the centre and offered themselves to join the revolutionary force. The increasing activities of Sambhudhan had caused a great concern for the British Government. When the matter was reported, the British authorities advised the Sub-Divisional Officer stationed at Gunjung to deal with firm hands on the charge of revolting against the legally established government. As advised, the Sub-Divisional Officer issued summons to Sambhudhan and his subordinates Man Singh and Molongthong, but they did not care to appear before the British officials. On further advice from the Deputy Commissioner, a warrant of arrest was issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer and he despatched a police-party under a police officer for apprehension of the rebels. The Sub-Divisional Officer had, however, made a mistake by sending a small contingent of six armed constables under a police officer, who after arrival at Maibang, got really bewildered to see the size and strength Sambhudhan had acquired and that the latter had already built a large village of his followers. The officer failed to execute the order as he felt himself not well equipped with. However, no violence was offered to the bearers of the warrant, but a letter written by Man Singh on dictation by Sambhudhan was made over to them and they were ordered to leave Maibang at once and return Gunjung to hand over the letter to the Sub- Divisional officer. The letter warned the Whites:- You White Bubbles! If you have any desire for food to eat on this earth, and If you have any desire for water to drink on this earth, You should leave our country before I reach Gonjung. No army would induce Sombhudhan to appear before an illegal authority and Any army despatched to Maibang would be completely annihilated. On his return to Gunjung, the police officer handed over the letter to the Sub-Divisional Officer and gave him a full account of the situation at Maibang under Sambhudhan.

He organized his own army by extensively traveling in the erstwhile kingdom. He was expert in guerrilla warfare and was widely revered among the Dimasas and other tribes alike. The Bristish officers who attacked his camp in Maibang didn’t return alive. The British headquarter in Gunjung was completely annihilated by him and he was known to be so strong that he slaughtered two horses of the Bristish at one go. Consequently the news of his growing threat became a headache for the British Empire. The British bribed a women who befriended his wife and on one such visit to his home, he was surrounded by the British army. The women had taken away his “machete” as has been ordered by them in his absence. He had to cut through the army with one of a rusty “machete” placed as stand for cooking purpose. He was eventually hunted down by the Bristish in the deep jungle as the creepers made it difficult for him to escape. And he was killed as a result of wound inflicted by “khokri” thrown by a Nepali army and died subsequently