Naga 'martyrs' of Mao Gate incident remembered
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Mao Gate (Nagaland-Manipur border), August 27 2014:
Along with offering floral tributes to the memorial monuments, the 66th Anniversary of Martyrs' Day was observed at Mao Gate, Senapati district here today.
Organised by Mao Council under the aegis of United Naga Council (UNC), the day was observed to honour Asiisii Hepuni of Punanamei, Mahriili Lohrii and Modo Kholi, both of Kalinamei who were shot dead on the spot and Daikho Hesho of Chowainamai Khullen and Obow Adani of Punanamei who were grievously wounded and later succumbed to bullet injuries from the indiscriminate firings of the Assam Rifles and Manipur police during a protest against the decision of the then Chief Minister Maharaj Kumar Priyobrata led Government to collect tax from hill regions on August 27, 1948 .
The programme was also attended by MLA Dikho, UNC general secretary Gaidon Kamei, ANSAM president, Seth Shatsang, vice president, UNC, Warngam Anal, Naga Women president, Tabitha and different civil society organizations, student leaders, church leaders ,women leaders and human rights activists.
Speaking on the occasion, Adani said that the protest at Mao gate was a landmark in the history of political movement of the Nagas of Manipur, who refused to pay the annual House Tax to the Government of Manipur and under the aegis of the Naga Natinal League (NNL) submitted their annual house tax to Charles Pawsey, D.C.of Naga Hills of Assam at Kohima.
It was an act of defiance against the Authority of the State, under which the Nagas of Manipur had been placed without their consent.
It was also a means of putting pressure on the Indian Government for securing the merger of the Nagas in Manipur with the Naga Hills District.
The Manipur Maharaja, Budha Chandra was in good terms with Sir Akbar Hydari, the then Governor of Assam, who was requested by the Maharaja to send a contingent of Assam Rifles to arrest A.Daiho.Sir Akbar Hydari, well known for his anti Naga political stand, gladly approved and dispatched a contingent of 4th Assam Rifles along with State Police equipped with rifles and machine guns, to Mao Gate on 27th August 1948 .
The Assam Rifles took position in and around Mao Inspection Bungalow in war like fashion and indiscriminately fired at the volunteers and students of the Mao-Maram Tribal Council (now Mao, Maram, Poumai, Thangal and Upper Zeliang) who were blocking the road leading to the residence of A.Daiho,
Adani recalled.