Rani Gaidinliu Museum : ZSUD, ZWAD seek prompt actions
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 14 2020:
The Zeliangrong Students' Union, Delhi (ZSUD) and the Zeliangrong Welfare Association, Delhi (ZWAD) have drawn the attention of the Chief Minister to intervene and take prompt actions to pace up the construction of the proposed museum dedicated to Rani Gaidinliu.
The two Zeliangrong bodies based in Delhi, have submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and Minister for TD and Hills regarding the proposed "Rani Gaidinliu Tribal Freedom Fighters' Museum in recognition of the contributions of Rani Gaidinliu, said ZSUD in a statement.
The Zeliangrong people are extremely grateful to the Government of Manipur and the Government of India for taking necessary initiatives to restore the prefix-'Rani Gaidinliu' as was originally conceived, said ZSUD.
It recalled that the project for the construction of the museum was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the Nation on Independence Day in 2016, a year after the yearlong birth centenary celebration of Rani Gaidinliu where the Prime Minister was chief guest in one of the functions held in Delhi.
The ZSUD and ZWAD had also organised a National level Rani Gaidinliu Birth Centenary Programme at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi during 2015 where many Union Ministers, Governors and other well wishers attended, it said while adding that the organising committee had submitted a memorandum seeking a special package for Zeliangrong people living in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in memory of the veteran freedom fighter.
Rani Gaidinliu.
Consequently, the Government of India sanctioned one Cultural Centre in Zeliangrong inhabited Peren district in Nagaland and later Manipur was one of the States selected to construct 'Tribal Women Freedom Fighters' Museum dedicated to Rani Gaidinliu.
However, the State Government has not been able to execute the proposed museum till date due to manipulation by bureaucrats and politicians with vested interest, it alleged while calling such inordinate delay in the construction of the museum an insult to the Prime Minister's ambitious project and also to the selfless contribution rendered by Rani Gaidinliu who was also a Padma Bhushan awardee.
Having seen no effective and concrete actions about the construction, the Zeliangrong Civil Organisations (ZCOs) including ZSUD and ZWAD have submitted memoranda to the Prime Minister and the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs on the matter.
As a result, the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda had written a letter to the Manipur Chief Minister on November 28 this year to intervene into the matter, particularly on the issue of name and location of the proposed museum so that justice is done to Rani Gaidinliu.
Listing up series of events since the conceptualizing of the project, and settlement of the name of the proposed museum and site of construction based on the facts, ZSUD said that the museum to be construction in Manipur has to be called 'Rani Gaidinliu Tribal Freedom Fighters' Museum' and it should be constructed either at Luankao village under Tousem sub-division in Tamenglong district which is the birth place of Rani Gaidinliu or any feasible place in Noney district or Tamenglong district (bifurcated from erstwhile Tamenglong district in 2016 which was her native district) .
Exuding confidence that the wisdom of the Chief Minister will prevail over the vested interest of few politicians and bureaucrats who are resorting to administrative manipulations and floating wrong suggestions on the proposed museum when the intention of the Central Government is loud and clear.
ZSUD and ZWAD earnestly appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene and take prompt action on the matter to deliver justice to Rani Gaidinliu who stood for the unity and integrity of the Nation till her last breath.
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