Rani Gaidinliu's birth centenary celebrated at Jabalpur

Jagdamba Mall *

96th Birth Anniversary of Rani Gaidinliu :: 26 January 2011

Van Sahitya Academy, Vanswar observed Birth Centenary celebration of Veteran Freedom Fighter Padma Bhushan Rani Gaidinliu of Nagaland on 25th June 2014 in the Hall of Home Science College Jabalpur. In the function, Choudhury Sivabrata Mahanti introduced the speakers from Nagaland – Shri Thunbui Zeliang, Post Graduate Hindi Teacher in Rajukhrie Government Higher Secondary School, Kohima and Shri Jagdamba Mall, author of the book – Swatantrata Senani Rani Gaidinliu and Organising Secretary, Janjati Dharm Sanskriti Suraksha Manch, Guwahati.

On 24th June, the book Swatantrata Senani Rani Gaidinliu was released by the Chief Guest of the function and Shri Jagdamba Mall spoke on the freedom struggle of Rani Ma and her religious reform movement.

Shri Jagdamba Mall said that the freedom movement of Rani Ma Gaidinliu was unique in more than one way –
(i) Though Rani Gaidinliu was from one of the remotest villages of Manipur in Northeast Bharat, her freedom struggle for the independence of Bharatvarsh was self- inspired and divine because the news of freedom movement spearheaded by Gandhiji and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose hardly reached to her due to inaccessible mountains and language barriers.
(ii) She was a religious leader and divine lady as well who led a religious reform movement simultaneously.
(iii) She spent fifteen years of her youthful life in various jails at Kohima, Guwahati, Tura and Shillong which is perhaps longest jail yatra of a freedom fighter and
(iv) She took up arms again during the period 1960 to 1966 to fight against Naga National Council (NNC) headed by Phizo and Christian missionaries in independent Bharatvarsh to defend her religion and culture from Christian missionaries supported by NNC. Shri Jagdamba Mall described her as the bridge at the gulf of Nagas and plains' people.

The function was marked by Zeliangrong Naga Heraka dance presented by Zeliangrong Heraka Cultural troupe headed by Smt. Arangle of Mahur. The Participants in cultural troupe were mostly from Lodi village and some of them were from nearby villages in Dima Hasao district of Assam.

While speaking in the seminar on Rani Gaidinliu's freedom struggle, the main speaker Shri Thunbui Zeliang of Nagaland threw light on divine birth of Rani Gaidinliu. He said that Rani Ma was holy and spiritual person by birth and the various divine miracles revealed on different occasions in her life are just like fairy tales but the miracles occurred because of her spiritual powers. She was a divine healer and a simple touch of Rani Ma at the forehead of ailing persons cured them. People carried Gaidinliu water in bottles to use as divine medicines in inaccessible villages.

Shri Thunbui narrated that Rani Gaidinliu was a committed Bharatiya patriot who sacrificed her life at the altar of Bharatmata. She was a great motivator because of that the men and women were equally fighting against the British aggressors. Shri Thunbui Zeliang said, "She was quite live with national problems in Independent Bharatvarsh. She supported Freedom of Religion Bill 1978 and opposed the coming of Pope in 1985. She attended 2nd World Hindu Conference at Prayag in 1979. She toured the various places of the country and told the Bharatiya masses that most of the Nagas – Christians and Hindus both wanted to live in Bharatvarsh except handful Nagas under the grip of NNC.

Simultaneously, the 450th Martyrdom Day of Rani Durgawati was also observed and various speakers from that area threw light on different aspects of Rani Durgawati's fight against Mughal aggressors. Earlier on 23rd June, a relay marathon was organised from Singourgarh, Damoh to Madan Mahal fort in Jabalpur. The race concluded on 24th June with offering floral tribute by the participants at Rani Durgawati Samadhi Sthal.

In the second half of the day, a grand procession was taken out from Jabalpur's Malviya Square in which 1200 girls attired in Rani Durgawati dresses participated in beautifully decorated chariots, horses and baggi. Passing through main streets of the city, it concluded at Home Science College. The main highlight was the performance of folk dances from Nagaland, Chhattisgarh, Brajadandi and Balaghat. The main speakers were Dr. Prasanna Sapre, Thunbui Zeliang, Jagdamba Mall, Ashok Rohani(MLA) and Rajesh Mishra (Municipal Chairman).

On 26th June, a function was organised in Devakinandan Dikshit Sabha Grih, Bilaspur and 600 prominent person of the city attended the program. Prof. G.D. Sharma, Vice Chancellor of Bilaspur University presided over the function. Main speaker Shri Thunbui Zeliang narrated the freedom struggle of Rani Gaidinliu in his 30 minutes long speech.

Shri Jagdamba Mall also spoke about the freedom movement of Rani Ma. Prof. G.D.Sharma and Additional Collector Neelkanth Tekam also spoke on the occasion. The function was marked with the Naga folk dances presented by Zeliangrong artists from Lodi and nearby villages in Dima Hasao districts of Assam and Gond dance.