Pa Togan Sangma
Pa Togan Nengminza was a brave A·chik warrior. He was born in the village of Samanda near Williamnagar, East Garo Hills, Meghalaya. Being a gigantic man, he has often been compared to the Philistine warrior ‘Goliath’.
In the year 1872 some British soldiers entered into the Garo Hills and set up camp in a village named "Matchu Rong•krek" which is situated near '''Chiso Bibra''' (originally ''‘Sisobibra’'' ‘dying junction’ …for he died here).
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.[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