Forgotten Indian freedom fighters from the Northeast

India’s freedom struggle became a pan-nationwide movement, yet the contributions of many freedom fighters from the Northeast are ignored in mainstream narratives. Along with personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose being in the news, countless heroes from Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and other Northeast regions fought valiantly against British colonialism. Their resistance – from armed rebellion to the non-cooperation movement – deserves recognition. This newspaper highlights many of the forgotten warriors who challenged British rule but were erased from popular memory due to their geographical and political Marginalization.

Maniram Dewan, an Assamese noble and tea planter, was one of the earliest to rebel against the British. Initially a devoted ally of the Ahom kings, he later became a leading figure in Assam’s anti-colonial resistance. When the British annexed Assam in 1826, they abolished the Ahom monarchy and imposed heavy taxes, provoking discontent.

During the 1857 revolt, Maniram Dewan conspired with the exiled Ahom prince Kandarpeswar Singha to overthrow British rule and restore indigenous rule. He secretly organised sepoys and local leaders, although the British exposed the conspiracy. In 1858, he was publicly hanged in Jorhat, becoming one of the first martyrs of the revolt inside the Northeast. Despite his sacrifice, his legacy is largely missing from national history.

Rani Gaidinliu, a Naga religious leader and freedom fighter, led a fierce rebellion against the British in the 1930s. Inspired by her cousin Haipo Jadonang, who preached resistance against colonial oppression, Gaidinliu took up arms at the age of just 16. She Organised the Zeliangrong Naga tribes under the Heraka religious movement, which combined anti-British resistance with cultural revival.

The British labelled her a “terrorist” and launched a military operation to capture her. In 1932, she was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment. Jawaharlal Nehru, who called her the “Queen of the Nagas”, supported her release, but she remained in prison until 1947. After Independence, she continued to work for tribal rights, but was sidelined in the national narrative.

Tikendrajit Singh, also known as Bir Tikendrajit, was a Manipuri prince who led an armed rebellion against the British in 1891. The British had interfered in the royal succession of Manipur, leading to a coup by Tikendrajit and his supporters. While the British sent troops to suppress the rebels, the Manipuri army fought fiercely in the Battle of Khongjom.

Despite being outnumbered, Tikendrajit’s resistance delayed the British victory. But, he was eventually captured and publicly hanged, along with his popular Thangal trident, which is now celebrated as Khongjom Day in Manipur. His rebellion inspired later revolutionaries, but his story is rarely told outside the Northeast.

17-year-old Kanaklata Barua from Assam became a symbol of teenage resistance during the Quit India Movement (1942). She joined the Mrityu Vahini (suicide squad) and led a procession to hoist the Indian flag at the Gohpur police station.

When the British police opened fire, Kanaklata died of a bullet wound while waving the tricolour. Her martyrdom inspired Assam’s participation in the freedom struggle, yet she remained an unsung heroine in most ancient stories.

U Tirot Sing, leader of the Khasi tribe, resisted British expansion in the Khasi Hills in the Anglo-Khasi conflict of 1829-1833. The British wanted to build a road through his territory, but he refused to give up sovereignty. For 4 years, he led a guerrilla war against the British until he was captured and exiled to Dhaka, where he died in 1835. His rebellion became one of the earliest prepared resistances in the Northeast, but there is little mention of it in Indian record books.

Pa Togan Sangma, the leader of the Garo tribe, fearlessly attacked the British army in 1872, armed only with traditional weapons. Knowing that their spears and bows were not suitable for British weapons, he and his companions adopted guerrilla tactics. He was later killed, but his resistance became a symbol of courage for the Garo people.

Several elements contributed to the erasure of those freedom warring parties:

• Prevent nationalist thoughts from Spreading Geographic isolation: the northeast’s distance from mainland India caused its exclusion from dominant historic narratives.
• Colonial suppression: the British intentionally suppressed data of rebellions in tribal areas to avoid inspiring in addition revolts.
• Put up-independence forget: after 1947, the indian nation targeted on unifying mainstream narratives, sidelining regional struggles.

The freedom fighters of Northeast India were no longer just local heroes – they were nationalists who fought for the same causes as their better-recognised counterparts. Their stories of sacrifice, guerrilla warfare and indomitable courage deserve a place in India’s collective memory. By acknowledging them, we honour the true diversity of India’s freedom movement and ensure that history no longer ignores those who fought on the margins.

Efforts ought to be made to include their histories in school textbooks, documentaries, and countrywide discourse. Most effective then can we absolutely say that India recalls all its freedom warring parties—now not simply the ones from the heartland, however also the ones from the hills, forests, and valleys of the northeast.