Of Vigour, Valour and Valiance: Celebrating Bir Lachit

Kangkana Goswami Bharadwaz

(kgoswami1987@gmail.com)

They say, "It is fatal to enter a war without the will to win it". Having said that, one can only imagine the vigour, the valour, the grit, guts and gallantry required to plunge into the battlefield terribly ill and tired, leading a handful of outnumbered exhausted soldiers, facing a massive fleet of a much larger and better equipped Mughal soldiers consisting of a humongous 30,000 infantry, 15,000 archers, 18,000 Turkish cavalry, 5,000 gunners and over 1,000 cannons, besides a large flotilla of boats and then, finally gambling with destiny to register an extraordinary victory in the battlefield of the Brahmaputra. Almost the last stage of the Mughal pursuance, the 'Saraighat Battle' not only witnessed the indomitable spirit of the Ahom Commander-in-Chief, but is also considered as an exemplary record of martial ardour, military acumen, guerrilla warfare, battlefield psychological combat, diplomatic prowess, unconventional battlefield tactics and above all, unapologetic patriotic sentiment of Lachit Barphukan.

It is in such high regard for the astute Ahom commander and one of the most revered military icons of the country that the National Defence Academy has dedicated the 'Best Cadet' award in his name for Defence personnel to be inspired by Barphukan's heroism and patriotic integrity. A statue of Lachit Barphukan also stands tall, right at the entrance of the National Defence Academy, as a symbolic depiction of the unusual fortitude and mettle that a defence personnel should master. However, even though the case of Lachit Barphukan's victory against the army of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb is considered as one of the most unbelievable, unprecedented, unparalleled and unimaginable instances of military triumph, this story of one of the most iconic naval face-offs in history, remains less told and lesser known.

Lachit Barphukan, a general of the Ahom contingent, was the protagonist of the historic win of the Ahoms over the mighty Mughals, and is more prominently known for his guerrilla assault on the enemy leading a contingent of only seven boats in a never-seen-before naval encounter on the river Brahmaputra. The huge Mughal continent led by their commander Ram Singh, barged into the edges of Guwahati with a naval convoy sailing upwards the Brahmaputra. Losing the will and courage to confront the enemy, a few from Barphukan's contingent started retreating. It was at such a crucial point, when a severely ill Lachit Barphukan announced his uncompromising determination to take on the mammoth enemy at any cost and complete the task assigned to him by the king. He also loudly proclaiming that he would "die fulfilling his duty to his king and country, even if it meant he had to do it by himself". Undeterred by any dissent, Lachit Borphukan boarded a boat and with seven other boats advanced towards the Mughal fleet, tricked the Mughals in naval warfare and launched an all-out guerrilla assault against the enemy. Such a show of gallantry along with the naval prowess of the Ahoms shook the confidence of the invaders, broke their will-power, battering and butchering the enemy's ill designed imperialist tendencies and forcing them to retreat. Accepting and acknowledging defeat at the hands of the Ahoms, the Mughal commander-in-chief Ram Singh wrote, "Glory to the king! Glory to the counsellors! Glory to the commanders! Glory to the country! One single individual leads all the forces!"

The unparallel unapologetic patriotic temperament of the Ahom general is a testament of impenitent love for his land even at the stake of his family. His emotional indulgence and sense of loyalty towards his motherland was intense, so much so, that he did not mind beheading his own maternal uncle for his sluggish, half-hearted and lackadaisical attitude in matters of national security. It was an instance when Barphukan instructed to build several mud embankments in Guwahati to restrict the movement of the Mughal cavalry to trick and subterfuge them to take the naval route, knowing very well their weakness in naval preparedness. One such embankment in Agyathuri was supposed to be completed overnight, failing which the Mughals could barge into Guwahati gaining an extra edge for an ensuing battle on the plains. Barphukan expected his subjects to understand the expediency of the matter and work throughout the night to get the task completed. However, on his midnight inspection visit when he found the soldiers asleep, he rushed to question his maternal uncle who was the supervisor of the project. On being asked about the rationale behind such half-hearted attitude, his maternal uncle reasoned that the soldiers were extremely tired. A furious Lachit couldn't tolerate such negligent, procrastinating and non-indulgent disposition of his uncle and the very next moment chopped of his head ferociously stating ,"Dexotkoi Momai Dangor Nohoy"! (The country is above all)

Lachit Borphukan was also known for his integrity and adherence to battlefield norms. Lachit's principled pursuance of warfield rules found expression when he instructed his men not to attack the retreating Mughal contingent while they were taking the route through the river Manas on the western boundary of the Ahom kingdom.

The Battle of Saraighat can be seen as one of decisive battles because of which, history registered North-East India as the only region in India that the Mughal couldn't conquer and in spite of multiple attempts were left licking the dust, vanquished, defeated and made to retreat.

In sincere efforts to place on record the heroic story of Lachit Barphukan on the world stage, the BJP-led Government in Assam has decided to take the onus of accrediting the legend with due honour, regard and attribution. The officials of the Assam government are working on a war footing to successfully celebrate the 400th birth anniversary of the Ahom general, slated to be staged in Delhi this year. In February this year, former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind had officially inaugurated the year-long celebrations and in sync with the same, the Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged and appealed other states to include a chapter on Lachit Barphukan in their academic curriculum.

It fills one's heart with immense happiness, pride, contentment and emotional surge to see posters, banners, hoardings and full train brandings of the national warrior displayed at several prime locations in Delhi, marking the start to a grand and majestic celebration on the 24th of November this year in Vigyan Bhawan. The event is also expected to be graced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah among several other top brass leaders. Given the amount of valour shown and the sacrifice made by the son of the soil, it is high time that the story of the unsung hero permeates into the heart of Indian for them to feel and sense the true essence of patriotism in letter and spirit. On 24th November this year, let's drench our patriotic self in celebrating the saga of the warrior who played the 'Sentinel' to the North-East. A story of grit, guts and unconventional gallantry!