Shifting of Rani Gaidinliu Museum
- Imphal Times Editorial :: November 07 2020 -

Shifting of Rani Gaidinliu Museum: Pitching for early implementation of reasonable demand

Despite claims of improvements and progress in the fight against the present pandemic by the state government resorting to various figures, ratios and percentages to drive home the assertion, the ground reality is nothing to cheer about.

Added to it the incessant troubles and natural disasters along the highways which are the lifeline and are being depended on for bringing in the much needed essential commodities and life saving drugs and medicine, it would not be too far off the mark to surmise that the state is still in a precarious condition which could take a turn for the worse at the blink of an eye if and when anything goes wrong along these highways.

While natural calamities are mostly unavoidable and unfortunate, various social protests and agitations are being held using these highways as bargaining chips which is adversely impacting our already troubled supply line of the state.

One such agitation being planned by the Rongmei Naga Youth Organisation to impose bandh on National Highway 37, state highways and all national projects in all Rongmei inhabited areas from 6am of November 9 until the state government names the proposed Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museum after Rani Gaidinliu as approved by the central government and shifts the site to Tamenglong or Noney which is the birthplace of the leader from Makhel in Senapati district which was the original location chosen for the same.

It may be mentioned that several other groups and organizations have submitted various memorandums regarding the same for a number of years without any significant acknowledgment from the state government till date.

Unlike numerous other demands which borders on absurdity, the demand for shifting the museum to the birthplace of perhaps the most iconic and revered political and religious leader of the Zeliangrong tribe ( a conglomerate of Zeme, Liangmei and Rongmei tribes) is a very reasonable one.

It would perhaps be pertinent to remember that Gaidinliu was born on 26 January 1915 at Nungkao (or Longkao) village in the present-day Tousem sub-division of Tamenglong District, Manipur.

She was from the Rongmei Naga tribe (also known as Kabui) and came to be considered an incarnation of the Goddess Cherachamdinliu.

In 1927, when she was just 13, Gaidinliu joined the Heraka movement of her cousin Haipou Jadonang, who had emerged as a prominent local leader.

Jadonang’s movement was a revival of the Naga tribal religion. It also aimed to end the British rule and establish the self-rule of the Nagas (Naga Raj).

It attracted a number of followers from the Zeliangrong tribes (the Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei). With the arrival of guns from Cachar, it turned into an armed rebellion against the British policies of forced labour and ruthless oppression.

Persuaded by Jadonang’s ideology and principles, Gaidinliu became his disciple and a part of his movement against the British.

In three years, by the age of 16, she became a leader of guerrilla forces fighting against the British rulers.

It would be more productive for the state government and certainly prevent further unnecessary social unrests to comply with the demand for shifting the site which is only fair as the move will be able to put both the iconic leader and her birthplace in the spotlight and would perhaps promote tourism while a large number of followers who still revere the leader can offer their homage and study more about her life and struggles more closely.