The winter season which, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), occurs from December to early April and the pre-monsoon season better known as summer lasts from April to June. These period of seven months have seen most of the gory battles in Indian sub-continent. Talk about ancient Indian battles or medieval wars and even for that matter modern battles and wars. Militarily major battles and wars in Indian sub-continent were fought during these months because of strategic reasons like favourable weather conditions including low water level in the rivers, streams and dry weather that makes maneuvering of forces easy and swift. Be it the first war of India’s Independence of 1857 in April, between the trained artillery soldiers and British that ultimately led the princely states to fight against imperialism; or the simple village folks’ fight with the British in the Anglo-Abor war of December 1911 around the cliffs of Kekar Monying that eventually united the Abor tribe against imperialism.
A visit to the cliffs of Kekar Monying, the only recorded historic site of the struggle against the Raj in Arunachal, brought in a sweeping sense of déjà vu causing goose-bumps although almost a century had passed since the event. But it’s a dampener to think that the government never did anything concrete to glorify the site. It is, however, never too late to restore and embellish the historic site for posterity in remembrance of the unsung martyrs, who fought against the better trained and highly equipped British army with their stone chutes and bamboo-made arrows in the cold and windy winters on December 04, 1911 along the banks of the mighty Siang.
It is told that it was in early 1911 during the second expedition of British official, Noel Williamson that seeds of differences were sown that led to the killing of his entire entourage except a coolie of Nepali origin called Thapa. Consequently, the killing sparked off the Anglo-Abor war by the end of same year.
“Noel Williamson’s cuss words and brutal assault on Matmur Jamoh at Leedum village wherein they had arrived from Yagrung village during his second expedition to Adi belt in March, 1911 was the decisive point,” tells Tagom Taki, the first post graduate from Minyong community of the Adi tribe, who had settled-down in a small hamlet called Pangin after passing out from the prestigious Cotton College, Guwahati in the early 1970s.
A Political Science post-graduate, Taki eloquently narrates, “During the second expedition of Williamson, he was accompanied by Dr. Gregorson, a coolie of Naga origin, a political interpreter of Mishing tribe and another person called Thapa along with couple of soldiers from Assam Rifles.”
According to Taki, when the team reached Yagrung village, they were received by many including one Matmur Jamoh who was suffering from a kind of skin disease. When Matmur offered him a chicken as mark of respect to the visiting guest, Williamson refused and asked him to keep away.
Notwithstanding the remark of Williamson, Matmur followed the expedition troop to the next village called Leedum — that’s where things went wrong. A furious Williamson hurled unparliamentary language and struck him with his walking-stick for following them. Matmur and the entire village elders of Leedum did not approve the unprovoked abuse and assault. Village folks took it as an attack on their self-pride. Thereafter, they plotted to wipe out the entire entourage of Williamson on their return journey.
However, there was a last minute change in the plan. Dr. Gregorson and Williamson changed the course of the back-journey as they decided to part ways. Dr. Gregorson went to Pangi along with few soldiers and a Nepali helper, Thapa, while Williamson went off with the Naga coolie and few other soldiers to Komsing.
On the night of March 31 at around 7 pm, when Williamson was on his way from the community hall to Lombe Darang’s home, he was killed by a team led by Matmur Jamoh and Tamuk Lunrung. Rest of the entourage was killed by village folks in and around the community hall. Dr. Gregorson and his team were not attacked as planned earlier due to internal differences between folks at Pangi village. However, later on at the insistence of Nangget Nonang, Dr. Gregorson and team (except the Nepali guy referred to as Thapa) were killed near Kebang by a team led by Lomlo Darang and Bapok Jerang. Thus, stage was set for the Anglo-Abor War of 1911.
Will the government celebrate the unsung martyrs of 1911 during this Centennial Celebration of Pasighat? It appears the government would restore the site as sources have revealed that the Union Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned an amount of Rs 391.48 lakhs for preservation of the historical ruins.
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