Rani Gaidinliu.....................India's Unsung Hero.

* Gaidinliu was born on 26 January 1915 at Longkao village in the present Tousem Sub-division of Tamenglong district in Manipur. She was the fifth of eight children, six sisters and a younger brother. The family belonged to the ruling clan of the village. She did not have a formal education due to the lack of schools in the area. 

* In 1927 at the age of 13, she joined the Heraka movement that aimed to end the British rule and establish the self-rule of the Nagas. It attracted a number of followers from the several Naga tribes. With the arrival of guns from Cachar, it turned into an armed rebellion against the British policies of forced labour and ruthless oppression. In three years by the age of 16, she became a leader of Guerrilla forces fighting against the British rulers. 

* In October 1932, Gaidinliu moved to the Pulomi village, where her followers started building a wooden fortress. While the fortress was under construction, an Assam Rifles contingent headed by Captain MacDonald launched a surprise attack on the village on 17 October 1932. She along with her followers was arrested without any resistance near Kenoma village. She denied that she had any role in the attack on the Hangrum post of the Assam Rifles or the construction of the fort. She was convicted on the charges of murder. She was sentenced to life imprisonment. Most of her associates were either executed or jailed. Nehru met her at the Shillong Jail in 1937, and promised to pursue her release. He gave her the title of ‘Queen’. 

* In 1946, Rani Gaidinliu was released on Nehru's orders from Tura jail, having spent 14 years in various prisons. She continued to work for the upliftment of her people after release. She stayed at Vimrap village of Tuensang till 1952 after which finally moved back to her native village. In 1953, Prime Minister Nehru visited Imphal where Rani Gaidinliu met and conveyed to him the gratitude and goodwill of her people. In 1993, Gaidinliu died on 17 February 1993 at the age of 78. 

* It's indeed a sad tale that people in other parts of country hardly know, or care to know about her.

Honest Politics.............a Pipe dream !

*  The common folks living under the tyranny of 'Democracy' across the world for hundreds of years have been dreaming just one dream; 'Honest Politics' in their countries. Years ago when nations fought the colonialism, dictatorship, autocracy, communism, and other evil forms of governments, the democracy had brought them a ray of hope. 

*     But over the years the democracy has acquired all the evils of other forms of governments, and in some countries it has become worse than the dictatorship. The poor citizens disgusted by the rampant corruption in their nations regularly raise the banner of revolt. Thus are born revolutions.   

*    And out of every revolution emerges the leadership which gives hope of clean and honest politics to millions, but soon after this new leadership assumes power forgets its vows and walks upon the path of its predecessors. 

*    The birth of every revolution gives a new hope to people and its culmination results in a new political dispensation, which also betrays the hopes and aspirations of millions who are left to dream again. 

*     Thus the cycle of hope and betrayal continues............

Writing Fiction.......

          

 ............ from inside pages of my book, (yet to be titled).

*     The fiercest battles are not fought on the fertile farmlands, but in the human heartlands, where the battle between the wife and the 'other woman' is one of the oldest and bitterest. Often the fate has been unkind to the wife. Once a while, though, it, taking pity on her, does make her victorious, but the victory always comes at a huge price. In every age, in every nation, in every city, in every street and in every house the wife fights this battle every moment of her life; sometimes with relation's help, but often alone...........

*     Wife had the bone and flesh of her man to contend with, as the 'other woman'  had  walked  away  with  her  man's  heart and soul. Nothing could be a greater  tragedy for the wife than to spend her life with a man whose heart and soul have been robbed by another woman............

Haipou Jadonang........................... India's Unsung Heroes.

*     Haipou Jadonang was the youngest of the three sons of Thindai (father) and Tabonliu (mother) and was born in the year 1905 at Kambiron (Puilon) village in Tamenglong district of Manipur, India. He was one year old when his father died. He organised his people into an effective resistance against the British rule. His movement popularly called the Naga Raj spread like wildfire and engulfed the whole region and further widened its influence to neighbouring areas.

*   The British took action to bring down Jadonang and crush his Naga Raj. The Political Agent of Manipur State arrested Haipou Jadonang on 19th Feb 1931. A month later, he was taken to Imphal and imprisoned in the Imphal Jail as prosecution against him and his followers went on in the court of the Manipur Political Agent.

*  On 29th Aug, he was hanged by the British Government on the banks of the Nambul River. Jadonang dedicated his life to freedom of his people. Outside Manipur, this valiant soldier of Indian freedom movement is hardly known. It's sad commentary that most of freedom fighters like him from little known corners of India go unsung, unread and unremembered. 

India's Unsung Heroes.................U Kiang Nangbah.

*       U Kiang Nangbah was born at Tpeppale in Jowai, Meghalaya. He was a child when the British had annexed the Jaintia Kingdom in 1835. He was a common farmer. Though young, he was greatly disturbed by the atrocities committed by the British. The story of his uncle, U Ksan Sajar Nangbah, who fought against the British, greatly inspired him. 

*      The British had left the Jaintia people to themselves for more than two decades. The anti-British feelings in him started when the British attempted to impose taxes and interfered with the custom and religious activities of the people. These acts were viewed by the folks as an attempt by the British to impose their authority.

*      In the darbar, Daloi Tyngkaen had informed the people that the British had imposed a House Tax. U Kiang Nangbah gave a befitting reply there, “Natives do not pay taxes to the foreigners”. When the British officials attempted to collect tax from a Jaintia, he refused to pay the tax. Anger by refusal, the British officials entered and ransacked the house. U Kiang Nangbah arrived there and fought against the armed officials. 

*       A police station was established at Jowai in 1855, to establish the government authority over the hills. The setting of police station near the cremation ground was resented by the people. The British administration took additional measures to control the Jaintias. Deputy Commissioner asked the people not to burn the dead near the military outpost. The clans were prevented to cremate in their traditional cremation sites. 

*      The resistance was triggered by the incident that took place at Yalong. On the occasion of traditional dance, ‘Pastieh Kaiksoo’ the police confiscated the weapons meant for the festival and burned them before a large number of people gathered to witness the dance. This forced the Jaintia to rise in arms and protect their land, customs and religion. 

*     In 1860 when a police constable shot dead a monkey in the sacred forest, the government official and missionaries made people to believe that sanctity of the sacred grooves was a superstition. This political and religious interference of the British ignited the fire of mass movement which started with the calling of the Darbar of twelve Dalois to apprise people about the need to resist the alien rule. The Darbar was held at Madiah Kmai Blai on the bank of river Syntu Ksiar where U Kiang Nangbah  was unanimously elected as the leader. 

*     U Kiang Nangbah and his men built barricades, stockades, stored grains and manufactured weapons and firearms. They attacked the Police station at Jowai and destroyed it completely, and burned down Christian settlement and besieged the military post. The attack spread to other part of the Jaintia Hills. The British launched a full scale military operation against U Kiang Nangbah and his men. 

*       Meanwhile U Kiang Nangbah fell ill and retreated to Umkara. On 27th December 1862, Lt. Sadlier led by Long Sutnga captured U Kiang Nangbah in the early hours. He was brought to trial and on 30th December 1862 and hanged at 5.00 P.M. at Yawmusing in the present of troops and villagers.

*     U Kiang Nangbah faced gallows with courage and made his prophetic massage. He told his people, “Brothers and sisters please look carefully on my face when I die. If my face turn towards the east, my country will be free from the foreign yoke within 100 years; if it turns towards the west my country will remain in bondage for good.”  And in less than 100 years, on 15th August 1947 the British had to leave the country making U Kiang Nangbah's prophecy come true. 

*    I chanced upon this tale while researching my novel.  It was one story that filled my heart with sadness and anguish. Like so many, this tale about one of India's greatest patriots goes unsung. What a tragedy?