Unsung Heroes Detail

Tilok Chandra Mantri was a resident of Sootia. He was a congressman and participated in most of the congress movements. Right throughout the campaign, the boycott of foreign clothes, British goods, intoxicating drinks, and drugs was carried on with vigor. In fact, it became the main plank of the civil disobedience movement in Assam. In 1931, a Swechcha Sevak Training Sibir (camp) was established at Sootia. The workers were trained in this Sibir under Jyotiprasad Agarwal. Bishnuram Medhi, President of the Assam Provincial Congress, addressed a public meeting and urged the public to participate in the civil disobedience movement. On August 21, 1930, Bishnuram Medhi was arrested under the intimidation ordinances. Charges were framed separately under section 120B, I.P.C., read with section 4 of the Ordinance V of 1930, and under section 109, read with section 4 of the Ordinance, resulting in a conviction for 6 months’ simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 200/-, or in default, 2 months simple imprisonment. Almost all the office bearers and important members of the D.C.C. were arrested, some under sections 17(1) and (2) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act. After the arrest of Bishnuram Medhi, protests against the government became more severe. Tilok Chandra Mantri participated in the picketing of liquor and the boycott of foreign cloth. Tilok Chandra Mantri was arrested and imprisoned in the civil disobedience movement of 1930–31.