NONGTHLIEW (MEGHALAYA), July 17: A life-size statue of U Tirot Sing Syiem, one of Meghalaya’s earliest and legendary freedom fighters, was unveiled here on the occasion of his 190th death anniversary on Thursday.
The structure was put up by the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC), a social organisation.
U Tirot Sing is often regarded as one of the earliest Asian rulers to wage an armed resistance against British imperial expansion.
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As the Syiem (chief) of Nongkhlaw, he opposed British attempts to construct a road through Khasi territory without consent.
When talks broke down, Tirot Sing led a series of attacks beginning in 1829, launching a guerrilla war that lasted for years before he was eventually captured in 1833.
He was captured four years later after the Anglo-Khasi War and died in the Dhaka Central Jail on July 17, 1835. The day is commemorated as U Tirot Singh Day in Meghalaya.
The statue unveiling event was attended by leaders of HYC, traditional heads, elders of Hima Nongkhlaw (Nongkhlaw State), and locals who paid floral tributes and observed a moment of silence in honour of the fallen hero.
HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem said the statue serves as a reminder of the courage and determination of U Tirot Sing in defending his land and people.
“We want the country to give him the recognition he deserves in modern history books. He fought for our rights, our identity, and our land from the colonial forces. This monolith is our tribute to U Tirot Sing and all unsung heroes of the Khasi resistance,” Synrem said.
The function also featured traditional songs and speeches recalling the heroic exploits of U Tirot Sing, who was captured and exiled by the British and died in Dacca (present-day Dhaka) on July 17, 1835.
U Tirot Sing is often regarded as one of the earliest Asian rulers to wage an armed resistance against British imperial expansion. His resistance predates the ‘Revolt of 1857’. (PTI)
