A brief account of Zeliangrong movement (1920s-2015)
- Part 1 -

S Kamson *

Memorial stone of Haipou Jadonang Malangmei at Tamenglong. Haipou Jadonang Malangmei was one of the pioneer freedom fighters of Manipur and the North Eastern region of India who fought against the Colonial Britishers. Saturday, 29th August, 1931, Haipou Jadonang was hanged to death by the British on fake charges, at the banks of Nambul River behind the Imphal Jail :: :: Pix - Ringo Pebam

The Zeliangrong people are one of the major indigenous communities living in the tri-junction of the present states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in North East India. The Zeliangrongs are the descendants of the same ancestor who founded the great Makuilongdi village, the 'cradle of Zeliangrong culture'. They have a long history and inherited a rich cultural heritage. They have great love and strong attachment to their ancestral homeland and traversed a long period of history from their ancient days at Makhel, Ramtingkabin, Chawangphuning and Makuilongdi to the present times.

As time passed by the population upsurge and the number of household at Makuilongdi reached up to the extent of 7777 (seven thousands seven hundred and seventy-seven). The dormitory for young boys and girls increased in several numbers because they could not accommodate only in one or two. For many generations they lived together in peace and harmony in Makuilongdi area. However, exodus took place due to various reasons and people began to move out in batches to different directions exploring suitable land for cultivation and settlement.

During the course of their exploration in the virgin lands the Zeliangrong settlements spread in different ranges and extended up to the border areas of Assam Valley in the west and to the confines of Lushai Hills in the southern areas. Some sections of the Zeliangrong who were not willing to join the exodus stayed back and still today many Zeliangrong settlements including Makuilongdi are found in Senapati district of the present State of Manipur. Since their exploration and settlements they had been living without any external interferences. However, in due course of time they faced aggressions from other neighbours like the Meiteis and Cacharis and yet they had always defended and protected their territory, their way of life, their religion and culture.

Meanwhile, the British colonial power also started penetrating into the Zeliangrong inhabited areas by the first half of the 19th century. By this time the hordes of Kuki migrants had also started coming into southern Zeliangrong areas which caused lots of conflicts and bloodshed. The Meitei rulers in collaboration with the British authorities started using the Kukis as buffer tribes and planted them deep into Naga areas. Consequently, a large portion of Zeliangrong traditional territories in the southern areas were lost out to the Kukis. The presence of outsiders disrupted the peaceful existence of the indigenous settlers and prompted social tension between different communities.

Moreover, in the second half of the 19th century, the British colonial power divided the Zeliangrong people and their land and placed them under Assam and Manipur for their administrative conveniences without the consent of Zeliangrong people. Later, Independent India continues the old policy of the colonial power by further dividing the Zeliangrong people and put some of them under Nagaland. These actions of the colonial power and Government of India have made the Zeliangrong people peripheral appendages to these three political entities - Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. However, the present compact and contiguous geographical settings occupied by the Zeliangrong people is approximately 12,581(twelve thousand five hundred eighty-one) sq. km. with a total population of about 450000 (four lakhs fifty thousand) according to 2011 census.

The Exploitative British Administrative System

The first British expedition to Zeliangrong and other Naga areas was led by Captain Francis Jenkins and Captain R.B. Pemberton in January, 1832 passing through Popolongmai (Poilwa), Samagudting (Chumukedima) and Dhansari areas with an intention to open direct communication between Manipur and Assam.

This was followed by many punitive expeditions that were strongly resisted and opposed by the Zeliangrongs and Angamis. The British established their administration in North Cachar Hills with Asalu as their Headquarter in 1854 without the consent of the people. Later, they captured Manipur Valley by the year 1891 and since then the British started imposing payment of house taxes i.e.Rs. 3/-, Rs. 2/- and Rs. 1/- in Manipur, Naga Hills and North Cachar Hills respectively as a symbol of their suzerainty over the indigenous people. The lives of hill people were curtailed by the taxation system that they had never paid before to any rulers.

Besides the house tax, the hill people who cultivated and own wet land paddy fields had to pay Rs. 5/- per pari. In addition to this, the authority imposed forced labour locally known as Pothang. Under this system the people(men and women)were forced to carry the luggages of the touring officials and compelled to do the works of making bridges, roads and build the rest house or bungalows without payment for their labour.

Moreover, every household was made to subscribe in cash or kind for the touring officials' expenditure reducing them to a situation of extreme distress. The Pothang system was officially abolished by the British in 1913 in the Imphal valley but it was continuing in the hills through their agent Lambus (mediator or interpreter). Uses of natural resources such as forest products were restricted by the authority which caused direct threat to the survival of the indigenous people. With the coming of the British colonial rulers, missionaries also came into Naga areas and they started interfering in the socio-religious lives of the Zeliangrong people.

The Zeliangrong people were also very disappointed with the oppressive Pothang services and other restrictions. This form of discriminations and authoritarianism of the British colonial rulers provoked the hill people especially the Zeliangrong Nagas with anti-British feelings and paved the way for resurgence and uprising. Meanwhile, during the close end of the First World War, the Kukis armed with fire (gun) power started revolting against the British which is known in history as Kuki Rebellion (1917-1919). Taking advantage of the situation the Kukis also ruthlessly exploited, suppressed and killed many Nagas including Zeliangrongs.

Zeliangrong Movement under Haipou Jadonang

When Haipou Jadonang grew up he witnessed all these upheavals, exploitations and deplorable conditions of his people. He was also told of the suppression and mayhem inflicted on his people by other neighboring communities. Taking cognizance of all these pathetic conditions he started thinking of getting justice for his people. It is also pertinent to mention that the Zeliangrongs' assertion to defend their democratic village-republics, land and people from the aggressions of the neighboring communities and the British was already there even before Haipou Jadonang came into the picture.

However, as much as the external interferences were sporadic the Zeliangrong resistances were also not well-organized, but temporal and incident-specific in nature. However, certain things stand out quite very clear, that, the Zeliangrong people are a freedom loving people with self-high esteem, self-dependent and did not want anybody to come in their ways. With the arrival of Haipou Jadonang into the scene, the movement took a new turn with a systematic and well organized form.

Haipou Jadonang raised the famous slogan, 'Makaammei rui Gwangtupuni' meaning, the kingdom of Nagas shall reign. He raised this slogan in the backdrop of the British occupation of the Naga country. He started mobilizing the Zeliangrong Nagas to unite so that the oppressive colonial regime could be put to an end. Haipou Jadonang prophesized to the Naga people that the British regime will come to an end soon and that the Naga people will rule over their own country. He campaigned against house tax, other exploitative systems imposed by the British and was also deadly against the interference to the socio-religious and cultural lives of the Naga people.

Haipou Jadonang used the socio-religious platform to motivate the Zeliangrong Nagas to come out and fight against the mighty British Empire. Haipou Jadonang once said that the Meiteis and the Indians have their own kings and he opined that Makaam people should also have their own king. He further said that the whitemen and Makaam people are all human beings and we should not be afraid of them. According to him all men are equal and the Makaam people are also blessed community. The days for Makaam people have come and with the grace of God the Makaam people can become kings.The implicit meaning of Jadonang's slogan is that no other people should rule over the Makaam people but they will rule over themselves.

Haipou Jadonang got huge support from his Zeliangrong Naga people and the message for freedom spread far and wide and had reached Naga Hills, N.C. Hills, Cachar and Imphal Valleys etc. Because of the rising popularity of Haipou Jadonang and his movement, the British colonial rulers got alarmed and conspired to eliminate him. Later, they got him arrested on 19th February, 1931 at Lakhipur, Assam and executed him on 29th August, 1931 at Imphal, Manipur on false allegations.

The British action was an attempt to show its might and tell the followers of Haipou Jadonang and other indigenous people that such uprising would be ruthlessly crushed.The British colonial authority believed that Haipou Jadonang's dead will send out a strong message to their subjects particularly the agitated Zeliangrong Nagas, create a fear psychosis and stop organizing anti-government movement in the near future. Such anticipation of the British turned erroneous because the Zeliangrong Nagas under leadership of Rani Gaidinliu intensified the movement and adopted violent means and challenged the suppressive colonial rule. She told her followers: "We are free people. The white men have no right to rule over us. We shall not pay taxes to the British. We shall not obey their unjust laws like the pothang."

Rani Gaidinliu was fully aware of the impending plans of Haipou Jadonang and she was determined to strive for it by even risking her own life. The Government ordered the operation and soon deployed the Assam Rifles in the most affected areas of Manipur Hills, North Cachar and Naga Hills districts. On 16th March, 1932 the followers of Rani Gaidinliu led by Mr. Heungchang attacked the Assam Rifles outpost at Hangrum.

As a follow up the British carried out intensive military operation and got arrested Rani Gaidinliu on 17th October, 1932 from Poilwa village in Peren district now. She was put to trial and sentenced her to life imprisonment on 7th March, 1933. However, the movement was continued by her associates for quite some time up to 1940. Many Zeliangrong villages who supported the movement were burnt down, destroyed their properties and many were arrested/jailed or killed.

to be contd...