Assam Seeks National Recognition For Prince Who Fought British

By Samudra Gupta Kashyap

In 1828, Gomdhar Konwar, an Ahom prince, organized an armed revolt against the British. He was arrested and sent to a jail in Rangpur (now in Bangladesh) and nothing much is known about what happened to him thereafter.

Last week, while delving into Assam’s role in the freedom struggle, a group of people demanded “due national recognition” for Gomdhar Konwar and called for rewriting history by including the role of the people from the region in the national movement.

“Konwar, who revolted against the British in 1828, is one of the first freedom fighters. But hardly anybody in the country knows about him. We want due national recognition for him,” said Jintu Hazarika, general secretary, Gomdhar Konwar Birth Bi-Centenary Committee. The unsung hero’s birth bi-centenary celebrations begins Thursday.

When Assam was annexed by the British in 1826, it was Gomdhar Konwar, son of a nobleman named Phena Konwar, who organised the first revolt to oust them. “He was arrested and sentenced to seven years of jail. You will not find even one sentence on this freedom fighter in any book on Indian history,” rued Hazarika.

A 1987 publication by the Assam government has Gomdhar Konwar’s name in the first place among the 30 martyrs from the state.