SHILLONG: The sacrifice and legacy of Freedom Fighter U Tirot Sing will be immortalised with a majestic, life-size statue in Bangladesh – the country where the Khasi leader spent his final days in a jail in the capital city, Dhaka. Announcing this on July 31, Meghalaya Arts and Cultural minister, Paul Lyngdoh informed that the statue will be erected at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC). “We target to complete the entire process by November or December, this year,” the minister said.
Speaking to the press from Delhi via video conferencing on Monday, Lyngdoh also added that High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, has written to him about the approval of the proposal to set up the memorial. He also informed that Dhanmondi, a culturally vibrant location, would be a befitting to install the life-size memoire of Sing.
Paul also informed that Verma has also suggested that the library be re-named as U Tirot Sing Memorial Library so as to spread the history and legacy of the prominent freedom fighter among the younger generation.
Lyngdoh assured that the government would also seek the assistance of educationist Prof David Syiemlieh to access the invaluable documents associated with the Freedom Fighter such as the date of his arrest and his passing away from London for display at the IGCC library.
Born in 1802 into the Syimileh (Chief) clan of the Nongkhlaw region in the Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, U Tirot Sing Syiem stands as the Hero of the Khasi Hills – renowned for his exceptional warfare tactics, valour, and fighting tooth-and-nail against the British colonialists. After the conclusion of the Anglo-Khasi War, he was apprehended four years later and ultimately met his demise in the Dhaka Central Jail on July 17, 1835. In honor of his memory, Meghalaya commemorates this day as U Tirot Singh Day.
