GUWAHATI: The Tai Khamti-British War of 1839 – and not the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 – could well be India’s first war of independence, believes Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein.
He has requested the government of India to declare the 1839 war as the first war of India’s independence against the British.
Speaking at an event in Guwahati on Friday, Mein said 80 British soldiers, including Colonel Adam White, were killed in that war.
“The tribal people of the Northeast also revolted and fought against the Britishers during the colonial rule. But it is nowhere reflected in the books of Indian history,” Mein said.
He added: “It is high time we rewrite our history in our own perspective. We have been reading the history written by the Britishers in their own perspective. People they viewed as traitors and punished were actually our freedom fighters and war heroes.”
The Arunachal Deputy CM also spoke about four Anglo-Abor wars fought by the Adis in 1858, 1859, 1894 and 1911 and the Wancho-British war, also known as ‘Ninu Massacre’ (in present day Arunachal’s Tirap district) in 1875.
He requested the government of India to include these histories of freedom struggle of the Northeast in school curriculum and NCERT textbooks so that next generations could read about them.
In 1824, Assam (it was much of present day Northeast then) was occupied by the British forces following the First Anglo-Burmese War and ceded to Britain by Burma under the Yandabo Treaty of 1826.
Mein spoke about Arunachal government’s efforts to identify and recognise the state’s unsung heroes. Books on them will be published after thorough research and documentation is done, he said.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving an opportunity to recognise the unsung war heroes during the ongoing celebration of 75th year of India’s Independence.
He also lauded the Assam government for its initiative to promote cultural exchange among different communities for unifying the diversity of the land.