GUWAHATI, March 16 - Governor PB Acharya paid tributes to Sambhudhan Phonglo, the great Dimasa freedom fighter on the latter�s 167th birth anniversary today.
In a message, the Governor said that Sambhudhan Phonglo, who was born in the small village of Longkhor at Maibang in Dima Hasao district in 1850, was a great martyr who took on the mighty British to liberate his motherland.
Sambhudhan�s father was Deprondao Phonglo and mother Khasaidi. Sambhudhan was the eldest among the five sons. The exact date of his birth is not known but it is believed that he was born at dawn on the Falgun Purnima of the Indian calendar.
�Sambhudhan Phonglo was not happy with the �divide and rule� policy of the British, which weakened the native people. He deliberated over the matter and soon decided to rebel. He organised his own army through extensive travelling in the hills and jungle terrains. He was an expert in guerrilla warfare and was widely revered among the Dimasas and other tribes alike.
�The British headquarters in Gunjung was completely destroyed by him and he was known to be so strong that he slaughtered two horses of the British at one go. Consequently, the news of his growing threat became a headache for the British Empire,� the Governor said.
Sambhudhan was eventually hunted down by the British in the deep jungles. The exact date of his death is not to be found anywhere but the stories of his valour are still told by the old people in the villages. He is considered a symbol of pride, patriotism and unity.
