By Dr. Razzeko Delley

On 15^th August 2016 Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India spoke thus from the ramparts of Red Forts

“Brothers and Sisters, when we talk about the history of our freedom struggle; a lot is spoken about a few people. In fact, in some cases, it is more than necessary. But in our freedom struggle, the contribution of our tribal brethren living in the forests was incomparable. They lived in jungles. We may have heard about Birsa Munda but there is hardly any tribal district `which did not make sacrifices since 1857 till we got freedom. What is freedom? What is struggle against slavery? They have taught us with their sacrifices. But our coming generations are not fully aware of this history. The Government desires and is planning permanent museums in the states where these tribal community lived, struggled against the British and refused to be cowed down. The Government will work to make such museums in different states so that the coming generation may know how our tribal communities were far ahead in making sacrifices”.

The Bebejiya Mishmi Expeditions

The three Bebejiya Mishmi military Expeditions to the Mishmi Hills in Dibang region were the result of longest struggle in Arunachal Pradesh against the British Government by the Mishmis of Ithun Valley. This historical episode is also testimony of inhuman colonial repression of the tribal people from frontier region. Moreover, the constant fight back by a small group of tribal manifest the struggle against the colonial exploitation which resulted in blocking the colonial expansion to the vast frontier region, the land of tribal people. The Bebejiya Mishmi Military Punitive Expeditions were carried out by the British Government in 1899-1900 (1^st December 1899 to 8^th February 1900), March 1914 and December 1920. The British archival records link the expedition with series of earlier raids carried out by the Idu Mishmis especially the Bebejiyas[i].

The martyrs and warriors under the leadership of Ponge Dele and Taji Dele fought against British in three Bebejiya Mishmi Expeditions; 1900, 1914 And 1919. They died fighting the British anti tribal oppressive policies and fought for the tribal ethos, struggled for the freedom to live the life by holding high in their own land. However the historical phenomenon which had impacted and plagued British government for nearly a quarter of century is today only in the domain of dusty archival files and have become subject of few lines in the books written by the historians.

The immediate consequence of the First Bebejiya Expedition however was revenge raid on British subjects in Mitaigaon village by the people of Abragon village for the killing of their clan member Thruso Dele.

The British government had moreover planned to undertake the expedition in 1857 itself after series of raids. However, due to revolt of 1857, the Raj could not execute their mission against the Bebejiya Mishmis^[ii].Therefore in 1899, the Raj desired to punish the whole tribe.

J.F Needham, the Political Officer on to Chief Commissioner and recommends a punitive expedition.^[iii] He also contends that the whole tribe and not the individuals should be punished:

“The  whole tribe must be held responsible, and we must give them thoroughly understand that whenever any outrage like the present one is committed, we shall held the whole tribe responsible.”^[iv]

The British force left Sadiya on 1st December 1899 with over 600 troops, 27 British officers, 6 doctors, 86 sappers and miners with dynamite, gun cotton and wire rope, and 2,000 coolies[v]. The troop consisted of ‘I Coy. Sappers and Miners 2 Coy. 10th Bengal Infantry, 1 Coy 4.J Rd Goorkha Rifles, 3 Coy. 42nd Goorkha Rifles, 2 Coy. 44th Goorkha Rifles, of the Lakhimpur M.P. and 2 Mountain guns’^[vi] .

The British force under Needham reached Maiyu Pass (Mayudia in present times) on 20th December 1899. Few Mishmis had gathered in Mayudia region to confront the British force. However owing to snowfall during that time they had to retreat after laying several booby traps and panjeeing the whole route. The force reached Hunli on 1st January 1900. The imperial force burnt down the village, destroyed agricultural plots, butchered and ate the cattle and other domestic animals. The troop even destroyed and burnt all the bamboo species and felled the Sago palm which is used as swine fodder. The similar destructive approaches were carried out in all the villages wherever they went up to Enaya^[vii].

On 6th January 1900 the force marched to Apali and burnt down the whole village similar destructions were carried out at Pika, Chani and Denge on 18th and 19th January 1900 under Colonel Molesworth and Major Anderson[viii].

On 21^st January 1900 the troop went ahead to punish the main Mitaigaon raiders from Abrangon village. However Aholo Mideren (Awelo Dele) and his people had deserted the village and taken shelter in forest. The force carried out the same type of destruction. And on 25^th January they entered Elanpu (Elope). In pretext of convening a meeting Ponge Dele (Pongon Midere in British account) Ekhrome Dele ( Ekhoma Midere in British account) of Elope and Malu Mimi ( Malon Mimi in British account) of Rango village were called and arrested as Needham wanted them as ‘hostage in exchange of main culprits’[ix].

After carrying out destructions the force marched to Echomra on 28th March 1900 and halted at Amili from 29^th January 1900 to 2^nd February 1900. On 31^st January 1900 Colonel Morsworth sent a troop under Kerr of 44^th Goorkha Rifles, of the Lakhimpur M.P to destroy Anaya village. The village was destroyed on 1^st February 1900[x].

On 2^nd February 1900, the troop left Amili and marched to Kronli (Konyi in British account). On 3^rd the force left Kronli and reached Aounli. On 4^th February, while marching from Aounli towards Nijamghat before reaching Aiyi River, the handcuffed Ekhrome Dele overpowered the 4 sepoys after a short scuffle and escaped by jumping off a cliff[xi].

The troop reached Nijamghat on 5^th February 1900 at 3 P.M. and they were back in Sadiya on 8^th February 1900.

Needham in his report, while admitting the failure to arrest the main culprits points that the expedition in itself was successful and beneficial for the British government. Moreover he anticipates that the Bebejiyas will never dare to attack the British subject again as most of the culprits will die in blood feuds the root of which the Political Officer and his team has sown in the region . He wrote thus            

“I think it may fairly be said that the expedition has successfully accomplished the major portion of the task which was set it, and we have demonstrated, in a forcible manner, to both tribes that, difficult as their country is, we can penetrate it with ease whenever it suits us to do so, either by using the Maiyu pass, or by entering the hills via Nizamghat. We failed to arrest any of the murderers,... but we nevertheless phished them and their clansmen severely by destroying their houses and property, and loitering about in their country at a time when fresh lands have to be cleared, and prepared for next season's crops, etc., and there can be no doubt that these men will, now that we have left the country, still further suffer, and that some of them may even lose their lives...[xii]

Mr. Cotton the Chief Commissioner of Assam while sending the report (letter No. 231-For., dated the 17^th April 1900) of the expedition to higher authority observes:

“The darkness which lay over the Mishmi country has been dissipated. The home of the Bebejiyas is no longer a terraincognita, which had never been visited by a European. The Bebejiyas, who had hitherto been described as a fierce race of cannibals, a very savage, blood-thirsty, and dangerous race, are now known to be no better nor worse than their neighbours. They are undoubtedly responsible for the outrages with which they have been charged, but these outrages do not appear to have been perpetrated from mere wantonness or devilry as was supposed, but to be due to the ordinarily blood feuds which always prevail among these frontier tribes They have now learnt the strength of the British power ; they know that if they commit murder and plunder within the area of British political control, they will be punished, and the Chief Commissioner does not hesitate to express his belief that there will now be peace on a frontier where there has hitherto been continual raiding. It may be confidently expected that for a generation at least quiet will be restored"

However the revenge raids and attacks post 1900 Bebejiya Expedition by Ponge Dele and his clansman proved how Needham as well as Cotton had misjudged the Mishmis.

The British government spent £ 16,000 (₹ 200000) and lost 34 lives. The Expedition was severely criticised by the Viceroy Lord Curzon, and he recorded a minute on the 14th 'May 1900, in which he expressed his views in uncompromising terms. "So far", he said, "from regarding this expedition as having been' satisfactory, either in its inception or in its results, I hold it to have been marked by serious miscalculation from the start, by a sacrifice of lives which ought, with reasonable precautions, to have been avoided, by an expenditure of money for which there has been no proportionate return and by political and scientific result that are all but worthless." In a letter to the Secretary of State, dated the 22nd February 1900, he referred to the Expedition as "an absolutely bootless though costly excursion, with no result whatsoever but the capture of two inoffensive and worthless prisoners"[xiii].

The hostages Ponge Dele and Malu Mimi were released on 16^th May 1900 as per the order of the Chief Commissioner of Assam vide letter no. 231 Foreign-1379 Political dated Shillong the 17^th April 1900 (written by the Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Assam). The letter addressed to the Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department orders the release of the hostages thus:-

“... it is proposed to detain them (Ponge Dele and Malu Mimi) as hostages in the expectation that their detention will lead to the surrender of the actual perpetrators of the Mitaigaon massacre. The Chief Commissioner cannot, however, approve of this course. He thinks that their arrest was justified, and he deems it possible that their indefinite detention might lead to the result contemplated. But he does not wish them to be kept in confinement any longer. He considers that the operations against the Bebejiya Mishmis have closed, and that the time has passed for taking any further steps for the punishment of the offenders. With the return of the troops, we should present, as it were, a clean slate in our political relations on this frontier. The Chief Commissioner has therefore, instructed Mr. Needham to allow these hostages to go back to their country.”

However, the subsequent episodes proved that the slates were far from clean and many more chapters of history were to be written with blood.

Ponge Dele after being released fought back and took revenge of his imprisonment by killing three British subjects in July 1905 at Sadiya, Dikrang Block House. He was accompanied by clan fellow Taji Dele^[xiv]. On the way back they also attacked and burnt down British military stockades at Kherempani and Bomjur^[xv].

Subsequently a blockade was imposed on the Mishmis of Dibang region and amount of Rs. 2000 was declared as cash reward. The blockade however was revoked in 1909 as the British Government found ineffective and alternatively a punitive expedition to Elope was proposed vide File no. 95 Foreign Political August 1909. Responding to the proposal for Punitive expedition put forward by Assistant Political Officer Noel Williamson, the Secretary to the Government of East Bengal and Assam  while writing to the Commissioner of Assam Districts vide letter no. 3884G, dated Shillong, the 24th July 1909 observes;-

... The blockade against the Mishmis appears to have failed in its object, in as much as Pongon (Ponge Dele) the perpetrator of the Dikrang outrage in 1905, is at large, and no impression appears to have been made by the blockade on offending tribe. You accordingly recommend the withdrawal of the blockade and the despatch of a punitive expedition to Elapoin (Elope) in accordance with proposals made by Mr. Williamson in his letter no. 13G., dated 2nd , the Chief Commissioner of Assam, Sir Nicholas D. Beatson-Bell gave the history of confrontation as follows April 1907, to address of the Deputy Commissioner Lakhimpur . You also urge that if no further steps be taken to punish the offenders in this case Government prestige on the frontier is likely to s uffer, and further outrages of a more serious nature may take place”^[xvi].

The three Mishmis of Elope Ekhrome Dele, Rosha Dele, and Bapo Dele in order to avenge the martyrdom of Taji Dele attacked the Nizamghat Military outpost in 24th November 1918. One sepoy was killed and several others injured. Thereafter, the British Government planned to undertake one more military expedition against the Mishmis of Elope. While sending up proposals for an expedition to punish the Mishmis of Elope:-

"2. The murder of the rifleman appears to have been but another step in a long series of blood feuds. In the month of July 1905, as reported in paragraph 13 of the Report on the Frontier Tribes of Eastern Bengal and Assam for the year 1905-1906, three British subjects were murdered by Bebejiyas near the Dikrang block-house. This outrage seems to have been committed in retaliation for the detention in jail of a man named Pongon, during the Mishmi Expedition of 1900. The chief culprits in the murder of 1905 were found to be the same Pongon (Ponge Dele) and one Taji Mideren of Elapoin village in the Ithun Valley. In consequence of the murder a blockade was declared against both the Bebejiya Mishmis and the Chulikatas through whose territories the murderers had passed. This blockade was maintained down to the time of the Mishmi exploration of 1912, subject only to some relaxation in the case of friendly villages. In 1913 Captain Dundas and Captain Nevill, while engaged in the Mishmi exploration, visited Elapoin and tried to arrest Pongon and his confederates, but found the village deserted. ... Nothing more happened until December 1917, when Taji Mideren came down to Sadiya, apparently thinking that the outrage of 1905 has been forgotten. He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death, and his appeal for mercy having been rejected.  The British troop under Captain Dundas and Captain Nevil undertook a military expedition to Elope in March 1914. The Expedition turned out futile as no one could be arrested. The troop after reaching the village burnt the houses, destroyed agricultural fields, bamboos and whatever destruction they could do. The troops stayed in village for many days carrying out destructions and returned back^[xvii].

The next turn of event occurred in December 1917 when Taji Dele was arrested while coming to Sadiya for trade. In a hasty manner he was tried and sentenced to death. His appeal for remission of the sentence was rejected by the Governor General in Council rejected by the Governor General in Council and he was hanged at Tezpur Jail on the 29th January 1918. In his Report on the Frontier Tribes for the year 1917-18 Mr. Dundas, Political Officer of the Sadiya Frontier 'Tract, anticipating the revenge attack wrote;

"The villagers of Elapoin have now sworn to revenge his death. This is not idle talk. Some innocent person will certainly be ambuscaded and done to death. It may not be this year, but it will happen." The murder of the rifleman in November 1918, a few months after Mr. Dundas wrote that report, is striking evidence of the accuracy of Mr. Dundas' knowledge. In  his letter of the 30th November 1918, of which a copy was submitted to the Government of India with my letter No.9652-P., dated the 6th December 1918, Mr. Dundas reported that he had received information that the persons responsible for the murder of the rifleman at Nizamghat were Ekhrome Mideren, Bapo Mideren and Kosa Mideren of Elapoin, and it seems certain that the murder of the rifleman at Nizamghat was the work of Pongon and his confederates in retaliation for the hanging of Taji Mideren."[xviii]

The British Government of India was, however, averse to any sort of "military commitments" and they asked that the operations should be deferred.

But in December 1919, the Chief Commissioner reopened the matter, pointed out how they were supposed to be exercising "loose political control" in these areas asapproved in Despatch No. 105, dated the 21st September 1911 and Secretary of State's orders dated the 8th November 1911, and undertook that the operations would entail no risk of any situation arising which could not be controlled by local forces.

The Government of India agreed on the 31st December 1919, but owing to the lateness of the season the expedition had to be postponed. It took place under Mr. O'Callaghan who had succeeded Mr. Dundas, in December 1920. The troops commanded by Captain R. P. Abigail (lent from the 3rd A.R.) and Lieut. J. Murray Grant, with Mr. O'Callaghan as Political Officer reached Elope on the 9th December.  This time people of Elope which consisted of 40 houses decided to directly confront the British forces. The Mishmis of Elope were pushed back forcing them to retreat as their machetes and arrows were of no match to the British guns and artilleries. Ponge Dele died fighting. Colonel W. Shakespeare in his book History of the Assam Rifles (1929) reports the confrontation thus:

“The force moved out from Nizamghat in October up the left bank of the Dibong river, the precipitous nature of the country making the progress of men and transport coolies most difficult. Before reaching Elapoin (Elope) the Mishmis held a stockaded position well sited, which brought about a sharp little fight before it was taken. Here the clan lost a number of men, amongst them being Pangoo (Ponge Dele), the leader of the trouble, who was shot dead. Elapoin (Elope) was duly destroyed, and two posts were left for a few months in that part of the country till all fines were paid up”. (Pp.138-139).

Similiarly Sir Rober Reid, the Governor of Assam from 1937 to 1942 in his book History of Frontier Areas Bordering on Assam from 1883-1941 (1942) writes:-

“They reached Elapoin on the 9th December. An ambush was laid for our troops and one Mishmi was shot who very fortunately turned out to be Pongon Mideren himself, the leader and instigator of the whole previous trouble and a consistant nuisance for some 25 years. There was no further difficulty and the troops returned to Sadiya by 27th January 1921. Punishment was inflicted where required arid many outstanding disputes settled. 'The Chief Commissioner was satisfied that the result ofthe expedition had "gone far to re-establish the authority of Government after the enforced non-intervention of the last few years" (p.254).

Conclusion

The British belief after 1^st Bebejiya Mishmi Expedition that the ‘Bebejiyas have learnt the strength of British power’ and therefore will never strike them again proved gross miscalculation. The constant struggle by a small tribal group also manifests the undying spirit to fight for the tribal right and pride which is inherent in the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh[xix]. However, the historical phenomenon which had impacted and plagued British government for nearly a quarter of century is today only in the domain of dusty archival files and have become subject of few lines in the books written by Indian historians. Nearly all the historians of North East like H.K Barpujari (Problem of the Hill Tribes North East Frontier, 1873-1962) and M.L Bose (History of Arunachal Pradesh, 1997) have just quoted few lines of British officers which prejudiced view. One can find elaborate writings on the subject in Robert Reid (History of Frontier Areas Bordering on Assam from 1883-1941, [1942]) and L. W Shakespear (History of the are highly derogatory as well as one sided Assam Rifles [1929]).

The local lore of the struggle still echoes in Mishmi Hills. The tribe still revere the people who died fighting the British anti tribal oppressive policies. They fought for the tribal ethos, struggled for the freedom to live the life by holding high in their own land.

Academic writings have appeared on the history of Ponge Dele and Taji Dele. The Union Public Service Commission Civil Service Exam Main paper 2009 had a question on Taji Dele (Taji Mederen) Similarly a brief write up and report was published in Eastern Panorama, August 2009.In the same spirit Times of India(electronic version) carried historical research writing on September 18, 2012 written by Amaresh Misra  titled, Assam: The very idea of India under attack – Part III, links the incessant struggle of Ponge Dele and Taji Dele to the larger freedom movement of Assam.

Community Initiatives:

With the proclamation of Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India to recognise the tribal peoples who have fought against the British as freedom fighters, the Idu Mishmi cultural and Literary Society submitted a memorandum to the chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Shri Pema Khandu on 8th January 2017.

The same appeal was made to Shri Kiren Rijiju, the then Hon’ble MOS Home on 22nd July 2017. The Idu Mishmi society has been undertaking various programme to pay homage to the freedom fighters Late Ponge Dele and Taji Dele from the tribe. The following are worth mentioning.

Ponge Dele Award

During the Golden Jubilee Central Reh Celebration in 2018 an award named after the martyr; Ponge Dele Award was constituted by the tribe. It is the Second Highest Community Award conferred to the Idu Mishmis who have achieved exemplary distinctions, who have served the community in various spheres and the people from other community who have remarkably worked in the Mishmi Hills)

Martyrs’ Pillar to Commemorate the Martyrs.

The foundation stone for the ‘Metaro’ or Martyrs Pillar, honouring the martyrs and warriors who fought against the British in three Bebejiya Mishmi expeditions (1900, 1914 & 1919), under the leadership of Ponge Dele and Taji Dele, was laid n the occasion of the Pre Reh celebration at Elope village in Lower Dibang valley district on30th January 2020. (Detailed Newspaper report enclosed).

(Dr. Razzeko Delley belongs from Idu Mishmi tribe and resides at Roing, Arunachal Pradesh, India. He has been working as Assistant Professor of English Literature in Government Colleges since 2007. Presently he is posted at Jomin Tayeng Government Model Degree College Roing. Dr. Delley is also Literary Secretary of IMCLS (Idu Mishmi Cultural and Literary Society) a tribe’s Apex body and a Member of the National Academic Advisory Council at Research Institute of World's Ancient Traditions, Cultures and Heritage (RIWATCH) Khinjili. Dr. Razzeko Delley’s earlier work includes two books titled Idu Mishmi Shamanic Funeral Ritual Ya, (a research publication on mortuary behavior among the Idu Mishmis of Arunachal Pradesh) and Igu: Study on Four Idu Mishmi Shamanic Rituals. He can be reached at razzeko@gmail.com. 7005212625/8974778353).

Glossary of Misspelt English Names and Actual Idu Mishmi Names

English Misspelt Name                                 Actual Idu Mishmi Name

Chullikatta Mishmis                Idu Mishmis those who spoke Midu dialect especially residing in the foothills of Roing region.

Bebejiya Mishmis                    Idu Mishmis of Ithu Valley especially those who speak Mithu dialect.

Pongon Midere                       Ponge Dele (Earlier traditionally it was Midele clan, now they areknown by Dele today).

Elanpu                                     Elope

References

Amaresh Misra Times of India (Electronic version) titled, Assam: The very idea of India under attack Part III                              

Assam Secretariat File no. 32-49 Foreign A. Political July 1899, Proposal for an Expedition against Bebejiya Mishmis

Assam Secretariat File no. 95 Foreign Political August 1909 Proposal to withdraw the Blockade against the Mishmis and to despatch a Punitive Expedition to Elapoin in Lakhimpur Frontiers

Assam Secretariat File Nos.1-28 Political, B, December 1919,

Eastern Panorama, August 2009

General Studies Mains Paper, Civil Service Exam, 2009 with question no. 02, H, on Taji Dele (Taji Mideren).

Mackenzie, Alexander., (1884). History of the relations of the Government with the Hill Tribes of the North-East Frontier of Bengal (Calcutta,). Contains in Pt. I a historical account of the dealings of Government with the Mishmis (pp. 47-54).

Needham, J. F. (1900) Report on the Bebejiya Mishmi Expedition, 1899-1900: Shillong

Reid, Robert, History of Frontier Areas Bordering on Assam from 1883-1941, (1942), Delhi India Eastern Publishing House

Ronaldshay’s Life of Curzon, Vol. 11,

Shakespear, L. W . History of the Assam Rifles (1929): London, Macmillan.

Arunachal Times News clip on Martyrs’ pillar to commemorate Mishmi warriors who fought British Empire 30^th January 2020.