Pa Togan Sangma
Pa Togan Nengminza was a brave A·chik warrior who is considered to be the first Garo freedom fighter. He was born in the village of Samanda near Williamnagar, East Garo Hills, Meghalaya.
In the year 1872 some contingents of British soldiers set out from Tura and entered present day East Garo Hills area to complete their conquest and pacification of the Garo Hills region. They set up camp in a village named "Matchu Rong•krek" which is situated near Chiso Bibra.
Pa Togan Nengminja and other Garo warriors attacked the British soldiers while they were sleeping. Roused from sleep by the cries of their comrades, the remaining British soldiers retaliated. It was a one-sided affair as the Garo warriors were ill-equipped. Needless to say, they suffered heavy losses and Pa Togan Nengminza died on the spot, succumbing to a barrage of bullets. It may be noted that Pa Togan came up with the idea of using huge shields made of plantain stems to stop bullets as he believed metal would cool as soon as it hit the shield. Although it was an ill conceived plan, it gives testimony to the sharp wittedness of the Garo chieftain.[1]
Pa Togan Nengminza fought and died for his own motherland and community. This brave warrior is remembered by the people of Garo Hills on 12 December every year. Till today, the Meghalaya Government is also celebrating 12 December as "Togan Nengminja’s Day" Pa Togan Sangma also known as Togan Sangma or Pa Togan Nengminja Sangma was a Garo tribe leader from Garo hills in North East India. In 1872, during the British occupation of Garo Hills in the present Indian state of Meghalaya, the local Garo tribe warriors were led by a young man called Togan Sangma. His troops met the British troops at Rongrenggiri.
The Garo warriors fell in an unmatched battle since British had access to advance warfare armaments.
Pa Togan Sangma is immortalised at the martyr's column in Shillong, where his name is enshrined along with U Tirot Sing and U Kiang Nongbah, the gallant heroes of the Khasis and Jaintias