Red Horns paid homage to Martyrs at Patharighat

The Red Horn Division of Indian Army offered homage to nearly 140 unsung heroes of Patharighat,(15 KM from Mangaldai town) who had scarified their lives for the cause of justice to peasants of Assam.It happened in 1894 well before Jallinwalla Bagh or Gandhi emerged on the Indian freedom struggle scenario.It needs mention that British government had raised land revenue to an exorbitant level.As a consequence the peasants of Patharighat started the first non cooperation movement against the British by non paying of taxes.On 28th January,1894,a team of British administration accompanied by their police officer Mr.Berrington along with a troop of armed constables visited the government bungalow at Patharighat,supposedly to hear the local peasants who already expressed strong resentment against the oppressive enhancement of land revenue.While the talks were in progress,the representatives of 'British Raj' in Darrang ordered the crowd to disperse.When the agitating peasants disobeyed,the Deputy Commissioner Mr.Anderson accompanied by British police officer Mr.Berrington fired indiscriminately.The heroic peasants pressed forward with bamboo sticks and clods of earth to retaliate against the British police.Patharighat helplessly witnessed the tragic scene and got her soil stained with the blood of nearly 140 peasants.This has been mentioned in history of Assam 'Patharughatar Ran'.

Major General N.S Ghei, GOC,Red Horns Division,Rangia; Brig.V.K Tiwari, Commanding Officer of Red Horn's 21 Arty. Brigade, Hatigarh; Kumud Kalita, Deputy Commissioner, Darrang; Thaneswar Malakar, Deputy Commissioner ,Udalguri; Debojit Deuri, Superintendent of Police, Udalguri; Col.Sunil Upadhaya,Commanding Officer,315 Field Regiment, Udalguri and Col.AK Bora,Commanding Officer,65 Field Regiment, Mangaldai attended the ceremony which was organised at Patharighat on January 29 at 10 am. All the invited distinguished guests paid homage to the martyrs by offering flowers at the memorial.All religion community prayer was also arranged at the site.The Army felicitated all the distinguished guests with 'gamocha' and 'Japi'.Army also paid tribute to late freedom fighter and noted Gandhian Pani Ram Das, (described as General in Khadi by Lt.Gen Jamowal in 2005))who had regularly been attending the homage paying ceremony at Patharighat on January 29 since 2000 as chief guest.In his short speech Maj.Gen Ghei described the peasants' revolution of Patharighat as a glorious chapter of Indian history and requested all not to forget the heroes of the past for whom India's independence was possible on August 15 in 1947.Kumud Kalita,Deputy Commissioner, Darrang also spoke a few words on the occasion.