Darjeeling, Aug. 26: The hill people yesterday remembered the contribution of Major Durga Malla, whose heroics during the freedom movement can be likened to Bhagat Singh, on his death anniversary.

A public function was also organised at Sonada, about 20 km from here, to pay homage to Malla, who was the first Gorkha to be hanged by the British at the District Jail in New Delhi on August 25 1944. The strapping Gorkha was all of 31 years when he laid down his life for the Swaraj.

The English had sent him to the gallows after he was captured him from inside the dense forest in the Northeast on March 27 1944.

Major Malla, an ardent follower of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, was on an espionage mission of the Azad Hind Fauj and had just crossed from Myanmar when the English arrested him.

Born in an obscure village of Doiwala in Dehra Dun in 1913, Malla was influenced by the freedom struggle from a tender age and also participated in the Dandi March in 1930.

Later, he joined the 2/1 Gorkha Rifles in 1931 when he was still a student of standard XI.

But, his patriotic feeling was so strong that he volunteered to join the Netaji’s Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian National Army (INA) in 1943. On completion of the training, he was inducted into the INA’s intelligence wing.

Once India gained freedom, many roads and parks were named after him.

The Darjeeling Eden Hospital, which is presently undergoing renovation, has also been named after the freedom fighter.