Delhi School of Economics to organise Haipou Jadonang Memorial Lecture on August 29
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 27 2017:
Haipou Jadonang Memorial Lecture on the 86th anniversary of his martyrdom will be organized at the Delhi School of Economics (DSE), Delhi University in association with Rongmei Phwam Delhi (RPD) on August 29 at the DSE Vivekananda Hall, conveyed a press release .
The Department of Sociology, DSE has instituted North East India Studies Program (NEISP) in 2015 with Dr.Kamei Aphun as the convener to address important issues and critical events of the North East region .
Dr.Aphun who is also a recipient of many International Award) stated that this time, DSE will collaborate with Rongmei Phwam Delhi (RPD) to pay the most befitting tribute to Haipou Jadonang and to bring the Martyr at the global academic platform which will be a historic one.
Pouh Machunlung Kamei, Chairman of Rongmei Phwam Delhi (RPD) who is also a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) presently holding Additional Commissioner of Vigilance, Customs and Central GST, GOI, stated that such Memorial Lecture is crucial for the present generation to know the importance of culture and tradition which Haipou Jadonang had strongly defended from British colonialism and cultural erosion .
Luh Gaichanglungliu Kamei, advisor of RPD (an Alumni of London School of Economics, UK and who is now Senior Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, GOI) has urged to not forget one's roots and culture.
She has earlier worked on the Zeliangrong Movement during her days in JNU, New Delhi .
Prof.Pami Dua (Director, DSE), Prof.Roma Chatterji (HOD, Sociology, DSE) and Prof.Hira Paul Gangnegi (Former HOD, Dept.
of Buddhist Studies) will also be speaking on the historic occasion.
The Memorial Lecture of the day will be delivered by Dr.Kamei Aphun who is also one of the advisors to RPD.
The participants will include eminent scholars and distinguished guests/invitees from JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia, Ambedkar University, Amity University etc.
besides many renowned Professors and Academic Deans from Delhi University .
The event will have special Rongmei folksong, folkdance and traditional Pazeihmei and several hundreds of well wishers and admirers will attend the program .
According to the release, Jadonang or Haipou Jadonang (1905-1931) as his adoring people would like to address him with 'honour' and 'reverence', is one of the most enigmatic personalities in the culturally mosaic Northeast India.
Due to undocumented and scanty literature, little has been known about him especially by the outside world which makes him a mysterious person.
The mystic aspect of his personality has further added to the confusion .
Born in a humble peasant family in 1905 at Puiluan (or Puilon) village in the present day Nungba Sub-division, Jadonang was a Rongmei Naga belonging to a Malangmei clan.
Right from his early years he was a keen observer who grows up to understand social, cultural and political nuances of the society.
This made him understand the spirit of nationalism and political movement.
To the contemporary world, Jadonang was an unknown Naga rebel whose revolt was nipped in the bud, whereas his own follower and successor Gaidinliu on the contrary had received wide attention and recognised as one important freedom fighter of India today.
Infact, it was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who had popularized Gaidinliu throughout his writings and gave her the title 'Rani' .
Haipou Jadonang was a mystic rebel who galvanized a movement against British imperialism and cultural invasion of the west and started a 'Heraka religion' to fight against cultural and religious encroachment.
He spiritually inspired the cognate tribes of Zeme, Liangmai, Rongmei and Puimei, who are popularly known as the Zeliangrong living in present day Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
His concept of 'Naga Raj' or the proclamation of "Makam Gwangdi" brought him to a headlong clash with the British government in the early 1920's but earned him to become pioneer in the Naga political movement in India .
He defied the colonial rule openly and raised his infamous "no tax campaign" for which he was arrested but soon released due to the public outcry.
Sensing his rise in popularity with his growing movement, Jadonang was soon falsely implicated in the murder of four traders by the then British Political Agent J.C.Higgins and ultimately hanged to death on the 29th August 1931 at Imphal.
However, J.P.Mills, a very well known Anthropologist who had wide knowledge of Naga affairs (who was also one of the Political Agents serving in the then Naga Hills during that time), had described Jadonang as the "Messiah King" of the Nagas which subsequently, the term was popularized by Lady Nancy Astor, a great champion of feminism who was also the first lady member of the British Parliament.
A.Z.Phizo described Jadonang as the great Naga Freedom Fighter .
Today, Haipou Jadonang is best remembered for his courage and vigour who fought against the British colonial forces, cultural imperialism, and for his campaign to protect and preserve traditional or indigenous culture of his people.
The present generation identify him as a true patriot and a great social reformer who withstood against all odds, the press release stated.
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