veteran leader bares it all
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Call it senility or iconoclasm but the octogenarian MLA Hoping Stone Lyngdoh has questioned the credibility of three political stalwarts – Tirot Sing Syiem, JJM Nicholas Roy and Prof GG Swell whom the people of the State look up to an revere to this day.
If one were to believe HSPDP supremo Hoping Stone Lyngdoh, the history on these three great leaders of the State would have to be re-written.
Lyngdoh claimed that the three leaders had actually betrayed the people.
According to him, no one has come out with the inside story about the true picture of these three leaders.
On the Syiem of Hima Nongkhlaw, Tirot Sing, once known as the great Khasi freedom fighter, he said the Syiem of Hima Nongkhlaw had actually failed to live up to the expectations of his people.
As the Syiem, he was expected to perform three important duties – to protect his people, to protect his family and finally to protect his own land, the HSPDP supremo said.
“The fact is that he (Tirot Sing) had not been able to do what was expected of him!” Lyngdoh exclaimed.
To prove his point, the Nongstoin MLA known for his extreme views on many issues narrates an incident about a British officer who had raped a young Khasi woman, Phan Nonglait (a freedom fighter who killed many British soldiers), which was told to him (Hoping Stone) by one late Rahon Marwein (a man who took part in the struggle against the British).
He said Nonglait was actually raped by an officer who had come for inspection of the road constructed by the British Government to connect Guwahati with Sylhet via Mairang.
Expecting the Syiem of Hima Nongkhlaw to help her get justice, the lady freedom fighter went to Tirot Sing to inform how she was raped by the British officer.
On seeing the former Syiem of Hima Nongkhlaw talking to the young woman, his (Tirot Sing’s) mother berated him for having a conversation with the woman. It appears that Tirot Sing’s mother refused to listen when he tried to explain the young woman’s predicament.
“As the Syiem who should be bold and courageous he should immediately have tried to help the young woman without listening to his mother,” he said.
Left with no option, the veteran political leader said the woman was forced to plead with Mon Bhut, the fearless Khasi warrior during that period who refused to surrender to the British.
“After this, Mon Bhut declared war against the British which was later supported by various Khasi chieftains. Strangely, Tirot Singh and the Syiem of Hima Khyrim were the two who did not participate in this war against the British,” the HSPDP supremo said.
Reminding about an incident where the former Syiem of Hima Nongkhlaw was returning to from Shillong, he said on reaching a place near Sohiong, he saw soldiers of Hima Sohiong getting ready for war.
“On seeing this, Tirot Sing decided to return to Mawmih where he went hiding in a cave popularly known as “Krem Tirot”. He continued to remain in hiding until the time the British announced that they would end the war,” Lyngdoh said.
After learning this, the former Syiem of Hima Nongkhlaw went to meet the British superior authorities in Kamrup, he said, adding that Tirot Sing fell in their trap, was arrested and kept in a prison in Dacca (now Dhaka).
“After some years, Tirot Sing was told by the British to return to his homeland and take over his throne. But the British Government set one condition, which is that they would continue to look after the law and order of Hima Nongkhlaw,” the veteran political leader said.
It was at this point that Tirot Sing said these famous words “Kan bha ia nga ba ngan sah byndi baroh shirta ban ia kaba long mraw ha la ka jong ka ri” (It would be better for me to remain in prison for the rest of my life than be a slave in my own land), Hoping said.
“I believe Tirot Sing said these famous words after realising his mistake while he was in prison for not joining the war against the British Government,” the HSPDP supremo said.
After India attained Independence in 1947, he said, the Indian Dominion had recognised the Federation of the Khasi and Jaintia States.
“The Federation of Khasi and Jaintia States was supposed to be carved out of the Assam Province but the first premier of Assam province Gopinath Bordoloi who was very close to Rev JJM Nicholas Roy (father of the Sixth Schedule) told him that it is not the right time since they have to unitedly fight against the entry of the immigrants from East Pakistan, Lyngdoh informed.
“Bordoloi suggested that the best option is to have a separate District Council for the Khasi and Jaintia people,” the veteran politician said while adding that Rev Roy also agreed to the suggestion of Bordoloi since he was a Minister in the Assam Province.
“Following this agreement, the Sixth Schedule came into being. If it was not for Rev Roy we would have had our State soon after the country got its Independence,” the HSPDP supremo said.
Meanwhile, Lyngdoh blamed the late GG Swell, who was MP and former Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha, for the failure to wrest a full-fledged state at that time.
“In 1969, the Union Government had announced that it would create an autonomous State. The HSPDP strongly opposed this decision. In 1971, the HSPDP gave an ultimatum to late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,” Lyngdoh ranted.
After the ultimatum issued by the HSPDP, he said, late Ms Gandhi came all the way to Guwahati to meet the leaders who were opposing the idea of an autonomous State.
“Ms Gandhi had agreed to set up a committee to discuss the demands made by the HSPDP. But perhaps because of jealousy, late Prof Swell did not agree to the demands of the HSPDP since a notification was already in place for giving Meghalaya an autonomous State,” the HSPDP supremo said.
Lyngdoh said that it is because of GG Swell that Meghalaya is still under the control of Assam.
He said the State still has a joint cadre with Assam in the Civil Service, Police Service and Forest Service.
“Till date, Meghalaya is yet to have a separate High Court,” the HSPDP supremo said.