Any historical event that is noteworthy but obscure needs to be brought to light for the general public; otherwise, it will be lost to oblivion forever. Heroes continue to go unacknowledged in this way, and successive generations continue to be ignorant of the many inspiring tales of genuine bravery and selflessness. A prime example of such historical injustice is the tragic story of Swahid Piyali Baruah.
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The most significant challenge to the British on this subcontinent was the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, and the heat of that uprising quickly spread to this part of the country, reigniting Assamese patriotism. Jorhat became the epicentre of such a rebellion. We have heard how Maniram Dewan jumped into this rebellion and how he was punished by the British.
Maniram Dewan was formerly a close confidante of the British, as he was working with them as a "Seristadar." However, when Maniram ventured into the tea plantation business and established two enormous tea gardens in Assam, he hurt the British the most. He was not given equal treatment by the British when he requested land for tea plantations. As a result, Maniram realized that British rule in Assam had to end and that power needed to be handed over to the “Charing” king of the fading Ahom kingdom, Kandarpeswar Singha so that the Ahom-era administrative system could be restored. Maniram approached the British authority in this regard several times but to no avail. Thus, the situation became ripe for Maniram to plot the ouster of the British from Assam. He took on the role of a think tank in a covert campaign to topple the British. While he kept himself busy mobilizing anti-British elements in West Bengal, his most dependable and proactive assistant, Piyali Baruah, took the lead on the ground. The young man not only performed the role of a capable “mantri” for Kandarpeswar Singha, but he also went beyond by mobilizing support from different tribes and communities. By using his impassioned speeches, he won the support of Indian troops in the light infantry at Nogora, Golaghat.
Maniram, who was in Calcutta, kept on exchanging secret communications with Piyali Baruah and Kandarpeswar, detailing plans and strategies. And they organized meetings clandestinely with followers to execute action plans. But it did not take much time for the British to unearth the conspiracy made against them, and they arrested Maniram and Piyali, along with many others. After a yearlong farce of a trial, Maniram and Piyali were hanged to death on February 26, 1858. They were 52 and 31 years old, respectively, at the time.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Assamese history prior to independence is the intimate relationship between Maniram Dewan and Piyali Baruah. Both of these patriots' ancestors were from Kanouj. Kolibor was the founder of the Bezbaruah clan in Assam, who came to Assam on a pilgrimage in the middle of the 17th century. He stayed back when King Jayadhwaj Singha made him the royal physician (or "Bezbaruah") in 1648. The three grandchildren of Kolibor were Anupam, Jaihari, and Purushuttam. Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaroa was a direct descendant of Purushuttam, whereas Piyali was a direct descendant of Anupam.
On the other hand, Maniram Dewan’s earliest ancestor, Ram Changkakoty, came to Assam during King Pratap Singha’s reign.
Both families treated Vaishnavism and Shaktism with equal reverence. Maniram's father was Ram Dutta, whereas Piyali's father's name was Ram Sarma. Both Maniram and Ram Sarma were members of the Jorhat panchayat and were close friends. During these panchayats, Piyali’s strong patriotism was noticed, and Maniram was impressed, resulting in a historic association.
All the honours bestowed upon Maniram Dewan are merited. However, it is unclear why Piyali Baruah, in spite of so much evidence supporting him and his ultimate sacrifice, was not accorded much weight by historians. They were executed in broad daylight for the same crime while hanging together. But, the patriotism of one person is extolled and elevated, while the other is consigned to the dim recesses of history. Miserably, very few people in Assam today know who Piyali Baruah was. Many others have heard his name but still confuse Piyoli Phukan with Piyali Baruah, though the former was hanged in 1830, 28 years before the hanging of Piyali Baruah-Maniram Dewan.
The government ought to be actively involved in preserving Piyali Baruah’s memory in honour of his ultimate sacrifice. There may be numerous ways of making amends by taking some steps that will set things in the right perspective and keep on reminding the people of the ultimate sacrifice made by Piyali Baruah. The government may install statues of these two heroes at a suitable location, either in Guwahati or Jorhat. The road passing through Piyali Baruah’s residential locality of Choladhora, Jorhat, may be named after him to dedicate it to his memory. The location of the hanging could be developed into a memorial to pay a fitting tribute to the martyrs. The education department may work towards introducing an informative chapter dedicated solely to the events of the Assam version of the revolt of 1857. The government may organize events on February 26 every year to commemorate the hanging of Maniram Dewan and Piyali Baruah.
These small steps could go a long way in correcting something that should have been done a long time ago. It is encouraging to note that the Honourable Member of Parliament, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, expressed concern when he announced last year that Piyali Baruah would be immortalized in a statue. We eagerly await such actions to materialise soon.
(All views and opinions expressed in the article are the author's own)
