U Kiang Nangbah

The Jaintia Resistance of 1860 - 1863 was the first popular and organised movement against the British in the Jaintia Hills. It catapulted into limelight U Kiang Nangbah, a young man from Jowai, as an ardent and fearless freedom fighter and as a prophet. The British did not find it easy to suppress the rebels. It was only through the treachery of U Long Sutnga, U Kiang Nangbah was captured at Umkara in Nartiang. U Kiang Nangbah was tried, found guilty and publicly hanged on Dec 30, 1862. December 30 is now declared a state holiday by the Government Of Meghalaya. Before he was hanged, U Kiang Nongbah announced to the crowd assembled there, that when he died, if his face turns east, the people would get their freedom before the passage of a hundred years. However, if his face turned west, they would remain slaves forever. His words were indeed prophetic for his face turned east, and our country achieved independence in 1947, well within the stipulated hundred years.

U Tirot Singh

U Tirot Singh, the late Syiem (Chief) of Hima Nongkhlaw, became prominent when he gave leadership, guidance and direction to the Khasi resistance to British penetration into the Khasi Hills, from April 1829 to his 'surrender ' in January 1833 and eventual deportation to Tenasserin and later to Dacca where he died. On 15th December, 1952, when laying the foundation stone for the monument for Tirot Singh in Mairang, West Khasi Hills, the then Governor Of Assam, Sri Jairamdas Daulatram, said " Tirot Singh's name should ever be remembered by the coming generation of the khasis and Jaintias as that of the brave man who stood for principles and sacrificed his all for the sake of those principles. This is a great virtue which should be a great idea for the young Khasis and Jaintias of today. "

Mavis Dunn Lyngdoh B. A., B.T., B . L.

She was MLA from 1937 and then served as minister in the Province Of Assam from 1939 to 1946. Mavis Dunn fought to secure government help for better salaries to Primary school teachers, improve the cause of women's education and grant greater support to girls schools and colleges in the then undivided Assam particularly to Lady Keane College, the first women's college in Assam. Mavis Dunn and her ministerial colleagues set up the Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh and boosted nursing and Red Cross Service at war time. She along with her colleagues were instrumental in instituting the engineering and other science colleges in Assam. She was not only the first women minister, but also the first lady Law Degree holder in Assam.

Miss Silverine Swer

In her late 90s, today, Miss Silverine Swer, Padmashree Awardee residing at Riatsamthia, Shillong is a renowned person. Right from the start of her career, she was active in educational enterprises. The Kaiser Hind Medal was awarded to her in 1946. She took a prominent part for many years in Assam Guide Movement. She was initially Local Adviser and Trainer and finally state Commissioner. During the Second World War, she held the Office Of Assistant Controller Of Rationing. Afterwards, she served as Social Education Officer in Arunachal Pradesh and became founder Principal of Buniadi Siksha Teachers Training Institute at Changlang (Arunachal Pradesh), the post which she held from 1957 to 1968. The institute had since acquired a unique importance as the centre of teachers education and serves as an asset to develop and expand education in the region as no education earlier existed till independence in modern Arunachal Pradesh. Miss Swer exerted pressure to build the present system of Education which is academically and technically sound and which links the productive pattern with the prescribed school undertaking. She held that a real vocational system where creative practices are combined with real academic pursuits serve better and can produce the tangible results for generating trade and industrial incentives and art and craft pursuits, subsequent to the availability of manpower, local potentials and skills. Miss Swer advocates that Education has yet to play its vital role for preparing the young for life - a system that will link education to life ..... a system that will establish a close relationship between society and economy and fits to the environment. Padmashree Silverline Swer was a recipient of several awards at the national and state level. She received the Siver Elephant Award in 1975 for her work among the Scouts and Guides. She served earlier as Chairman, Meghalaya State Social Women's Welfare Board. Miss Swer advocates the strengthening of the primary education to ensure the proper foundation of the whole system and ensure proper growth to children at the lower stage in making quicker adoption to higher stages, thereby minimising the cost of investment at post primary level.

R. R. Thomas, MA, P. R. S., B.L.

R. R. Thomas passed the intermediate Arts exams of Kolkata University and won a high position, topped the BA Honours exams in Philosophy and won four gold medals in 1912. Secured First class, second position in the MA. Examination in 1914, came out with flying colours in the law and Indian Audit And Accounts Examination. He was the first Khasi Professor, started as lecturer in Scottish Church College, Kolkata. He was a member of the Assam Provincial Educational Service. Later became senior Professor of Philosophy and Logic at Murari Chand College, Sylhet (now in Bangladesh), then at Cotton College, Guwahati. R. R. Thomas also served as Secretary, Assam Public Service Commission from 1937 to 1940, Inspector Of Schools, Assam Valley Division and then Assistant Director Public Instruction, Assam. R. R. Thomas served as the Principal of Cotton College, Guwahati, then the finest and largest seat of learning in the North East. R. R. Thomas also became the first Principal of D. M. College, Imphal (Manipur).

U BABU JEEBON ROY

U Babu Jeebon Roy was one of the first educated Khasis. He had a distinguished career and retired as Extra Assistant Commissioner in 1894. The first brilliant educationist, he opposed vehemently the system of education for some of its inherent defects . He was the pioneer of higher education in Khasi and Jaintia Hills. On the Government and the mission's failure to start the first high school, after Shillong became a Provincial Capital in 1874, Jeebon Roy himself started the first ever High School known as Shillong Zillah High School about 1875 - 76. Thus Sib Charan, his own son came out, successfully in 1880, having sat for his exams at Sylhet as no other centre has existed. The school followed the course prescribed by the Kolkata University. U Jeebon Roy founded the the first high school in 1876. The school was established primarily to meet the crying need of the Shillong boys for secondary education before they could join colleagues in Kolkata. It was subsequently taken over by the Government to become the famous Shillong Government Boys High School. Jeebon Roy tried to update the system of instruction in his school which at the same time, attempted to remove or rectify the inherent defects in the middle and village primary schools. It was indeed a Herculean task to establish and own a school and equip it with the provision and facilities as would conform to requirement of the university affiliation and examination. It would have been even more difficult to voluntarily sponsor funds for such a task. He also started another school known as the Mawkhar Bengali High School for Khasis. Jeebon Roy contributed to inspiring the status and confidence of women. During those days, people looked askance at women working in offices. He was well aware of these prejudices. In the Ri Khasi Press, started by him, he engaged his own daughter to work there. This he did to encourage other women. Jeebon Roy was one of the eminent Orthographers and literary writers of his age. He also supported the establishment of the Seng Khasi, a premier socio - educational organisation, which now has to its credit a few high schools and a college in Shillong. He was a great philanthropist and donated generously to the cause of social reconstruction. His scheme of economic reconstruction had touched farming, mining, weaving, cattle life etc. He died in 1903.