Importance of revisiting our history
Editor,
I have walked past Motphran countless times. It is a part of Shillong’s everyday life, standing at the heart of the city, surrounded by chaos—street vendors, honking vehicles, hurried footsteps. Yet, despite its presence, I never once stopped to ask what it stood for. Never once did I wonder about its history. It was just another structure, another landmark. And then, I stumbled upon something that shook me. As the TV screen displayed images of our PM, Modi ji, paying tribute to the Indian soldiers martyred during World War I at Marseille, France, my mother brought up the history of Motphran. I was stunned by what I learned!
Motphran isn’t just a monument—it’s a symbol of a past that many of us have either forgotten or never even known. A past tied not to foreign lands or rulers, but to our very own people. The name ‘Motphran’ translates to ‘Stone of France,’ but its origins trace back to the British, who originally called it ‘Mot France,’ or the ‘Monument of France.’ However, due to local pronunciation challenges, it eventually became known as Motphran
Motphran was built to honour 67 Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo porters—men who were taken from their homes and sent thousands of miles away to fight a war that was never theirs. They were not soldiers with weapons. They were not high-ranking officers with strategy and power. They were labourers—men ordered to dig trenches, carry supplies, and work in the cold, bloodied battlefields of France during World War I.
The Forgotten Indigenous Labour Corps : In 1917, when the British needed manpower to sustain their war efforts in France, they turned to their colonies. Thousands of men from across India were recruited into the Labour Corps, including the 67 Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo porters from Meghalaya. These men left their villages—many, perhaps, thinking they were heading toward better prospects—only to be thrown into the brutality of war.
Imagine being taken from the green, rolling hills of Meghalaya and placed in the frozen trenches of France. The biting cold, relentless gunfire, and the stench of death in the air. These men were not trained for war, yet they were forced into its depths, enduring harsh conditions, exhaustion, disease, and the horrors of combat. Many never returned home. And those who did? Their names faded into obscurity. The British, in an attempt to honour them, erected Motphran—“The Stone of France”—and inscribed it with words from Horace: “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.” Translated, it means “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.”
Garo Labour Corps Day: A Step Towards Remembrance : Motphran is not the only forgotten chapter of our past. Every year, on 16th July, Meghalaya observes Garo Labour Corps Day—a day dedicated to honouring the 69th Garo Labour Corps, men who, like the 67 porters of Motphran, were sent to fight in a war they never chose.
This day, declared a local holiday, marks the safe arrival of the Garo Labour Corps recruits who survived the war. As a mark of respect, dignitaries lay floral wreaths on the Cenotaph at Babupara, Tura, accompanied by a gun salute and prayers in honour of those who never made it back home.
This annual observance is a powerful reminder that these men, though forgotten by history books, are still honoured in spirit. But is this enough? If we can remember the Garo Labour Corps, why do we continue to walk past Motphran without a second glance?
More Than Just a Forgotten War Story : Motphran’s story is more than just an old war memory. It is about the erasure of indigenous contributions to global history. When we talk about World War I, we hear of European battles, British soldiers, and the horrors of the trenches. But where are the stories of the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo men who were there? Where are their names in history books?
What Happens Now?
Maybe next time we pass by Motphran, we will remember the 67 Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo porters who walked into war, unarmed, uncertain, and unprepared, yet who gave everything. Maybe we will stop, if only for a second, and honour them—not just as nameless figures in history, but as men who lived, suffered, and mattered.
Also highlighting forgotten less talked, Ka Phan Nonglait hailing from the Rymmai village, which falls under Hima Nongkhlaw. She is the first woman freedom fighter from the Khasi Hills. Born in 1799, little is known or even recorded about the life of Ka Phan Nonglait. Ministry of Culture has recognized Meghalaya’s most prominent female freedom warrior – ‘Ka Phan Nonglait’ as “unsung hero” during ‘Amrit Samagam’ held at New Delhi in 2022.
Maybe it is time we start remembering.
Yours etc.,
Bahunlang Pde,
Via email
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