Pa Togan Nengminza Sangma
A commemorative postage stamp on the Death Anniversary of Pa Togan Sangma, a Garo (Matgrik) tribal leader from Garo hills in North East India :
Issued by India
Issued on Dec 12, 2022
Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue Commemorative Postage Stamp on Pa Togan Sangma, the great Garo tribal leader who restored to guerrilla tactics against the British and fought for the pride of his people.
Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta
Type : Stamp, Mint Condition
Colour : Multi Colour
Denomination : 500 Paise
Stamps Printed : 304000
Printing Process : Wet Offset
Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad
Name : Togan Nengminja Sangma
Born at Simsanggre (Williamnagar), East Garo Hills district, Meghalaya, India
Died on 12 Dec, 1872 at Chisobibra, Meghalaya, India
About :
- The Garo Hills is predominantly inhabited by the Garos, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman race. The Garos call themselves as Achiks and the land they inhabit as the Achikland.
- From time immemorial, the Garos had been living as an independent tribe in the present day Garo Hills of Meghalaya. Togan N. Sangma was born at Samanda Village of present East Garo Hills District.
- When Togan was at the prime of his life, the British had already occupied major portion of Garo Hills which were created into a District by passing the Garo Hill District Act 1869. However, there were more than sixty Garo villages of the most interior parts of Garo Hills which were still independent including Togan’s and his co-leader Gilsang Dalbot Sangma’s villages of Samanda and Dalbot–Kalkagre respectively.
- An opportune moment was created by Togan and Gilsang and other independent Nokmas who took revenge on those villages which submitted to the British Authority. Another event that followed was that a Khalasi who accompanied the British Survey Party led by Major Godwin Austen was killed in 1871 by the independent Garos. This was taken by the British as a challenge to their authority. Therefore, in order to bring order, the British Government decided to annex the entire Garo villages. Togan, Gilsang and other Nokmas vowed to offer resistance even at the risk of their lives.
- In the battle of Chisobibra, the independent Garos made a wild charge on the British camp. Despite being ill-equipped, he came up with the idea of using huge shields made of plantain stems that could stop bullets from hitting the Garo warriors. He fell fighting with unmatched heroism and courage in December, 1872.
- Pa Togan Sangma is immortalised at the martyr’s column in Shillong, where his name is enshrined along with U Tirot Singh and U Kiang Nongbah, the gallant heroes of the Khasis and Jaintias.
- To commemorate the valor and courage of this great warrior of Meghalaya, the State Government instituted, Pa Togan Sangma State Awards for the best Social Services. Also every year, 12th December, Death Anniversary of Pa Togan Sangma is celebrated as State holiday.
- Text : Based on information received from the proponent.
