When is U Tirot Sing Day?
U Tirot Sing Day is a regional public holiday in the Indian state of Meghalaya on July 17th each year.
This holiday honours Tirot Singh, a 19th-century freedom fighter from Meghalaya who led a revolt against the British.
History of U Tirot Sing Day
In amongst the numerous religious and tribal festivals in the holidays of the northeastern states of India, there is a series of holidays dedicated to brave native tribal leaders who resisted the British occupation of their land in the 19th century. One of the greatest of these freedom fighters was U Tirot Sing.
In 1826, the British had gained control of the Brahmaputra Valley. They wanted to build a road across the Khasi Hills to link the valley to the Surma Valley, which they also controlled.
Representing the British, David Scott approached Tirot Sing, the chief of the Khasi for permission to build the road, promising Sing that he would keep control of his region and enjoy free trade.
Suspicious of the true intentions of the British, Sing was alarmed when he found out that the British had been reinforcing their garrisons in the region. U Tirot Sing then served a notice to the British to leave the area, which they duly ignored.
Tirot Sing resolved to drive out the British from the Khasi hills and in April 1829, hundreds of his men attacked a British garrison, triggering the Anglo-Khasi war, which was to last for four years. Given that the Khasi were ill-equipped and vastly outnumbered, it is a testament to the bravery of Tirot Sing and his men that they managed to mount a resistance for four years. Eventually, Tirot Sing was captured by the British and deported to Dhaka where he died in jail on July 17th 1835.
Each year on the anniversary of his death, wreaths are placed at the U Tirot Singh Memorial in Mairang town.
