ZUF details Zeliangrong Movement- III
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 04 2023: Haipou Jadonang was the first among the Nagas who had formed an organised force to fight against forced labour and imposition of house tax imposed by the British colonial rulers.

Zeliangrong movement under Jadonang started its activities and went on full throttle around 1926-1927, said a release issued by ZUF.

Jadonang was executed on August 29, 1931 while Rani Gaidinliu was arrested by the British in 1932 and sentenced for life imprisonment.

In the early 1930s, A Z Phizo had started nurturing his dream and vision for the Naga people as a whole for an independent nation.

By early 1940s, he was found joining hands with the anti-British forces and went about mobilizing the Naga people to fight against the alien forces.

The Naga National Council (NNC) was formed in 1946 and the Naga Struggle for freedom took a new turn along with the signing of the Nine Point Agreement in 1947 and declaration of Naga independence on August 14, 1947 .

When A Z Phizo became the president of NNC in the year 1949, the Naga struggle for sovereign independent nation picked up high momentum.

By 1955-56, the Zeliangrong Nagas too joined the Nagas struggle for independence under the banner of NNC.

Full scale war broke out between the Naga army and Indian security forces until 1964 when a ceasefire was declared between the two sides.

Many precious lives were sacrificed at the altar of Naga freedom.

Thousands of people were brutally assaulted, many women were raped or molested, villages burnt down, Churches were turned into army camps etc.

Despite all these sacrifices, the Zeliangrong people were left unrewarded.

In fact, when the 16th Point Agreement was about to be signed in 1960 between the Government of India and Naga People Convention (NPC) much against the wishes of NNC, the Zeliangrong people expressed their apprehension about the fall out of this proposed agreement.

True to the fear of the Zeliangrongs, when the State of Nagaland came into being in 1963 where two-third of Zeliangrong territory and more than three-fourth of its people were left outside the purview of the new State.

A sense of betrayal and bitterness filled the air during this period.

Then came the infamous Shillong Accord of 1975, which brought nothing but discord and misunderstanding among the Naga people.

The Zeliangrong People Convention (ZPC) was formed in 1980 at Tamenglong under the leadership of Rani Gaidinliu with the objective of securing a Homeland for the Zeliangrong people whereby the Zeliangrong people and their land were trifurcated into three States would come under a single Administrative Unit.

ZPC Movement was a new redefined Zeliangrong Movement with the "Makaameirui Gwang tupuna" slogan of Jadonang changed to "Zeliangrong Ringtelou" to re-ignite the bond of unity and create consciousness of the Zeliangrong people to strive for a common Homeland.

The arbitrary trifurcation of the Zeliangrong people and their land into three different States of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland without their consent is the biggest injustice committed to the indigenous Zeliangrong community by both the British and post-Independence Indian Government.

When the Naga Movement rejuvenated in the late 1980s after a long hiatus following the Shillong Accord, ZPC movement was kept in abeyance in the larger interests of the Nagas in 1993 .

Also in 1961, the Zeliangrong people sacrificed their demand for Zeliangrong State when the high power NNC team led by one Kilonser, G Nganping requested them to give up the statehood demand in the interest of the Nagas, whereas the NPC went ahead and formed the State of Nagaland under the 16th Point Agreement in spite of the clear disapproval of NNC and the Naga people.

In the early 1990s when the Naga movement rejuvenated and started picking its momentum again under the banner of National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), the Zeliangrong people's movement for statehood under ZPC was kept in abeyance in the larger interest of the Nagas even though the 7th Convention/Conference of ZPC held at Peren on 28th May, 1993 resolved to intensify the ZPC movement for Zeliangrong Homeland.

Comment