104th birth anniversary of Rani Gaidinliu celebrated
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 28 2019: The 104th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Rani Gaidinliu was celebrated today at Tarung Community Hall, Imphal, Manipur, said a press release issued by the Zeliangrong Baudi.

The programme was jointly organized by Zeliangrong Civil Organizations that is Zeliangrong Baudi, Zeliangrong Youth and Zeliangrong Students' Union while leaders of different social organizations, elders, senior leaders, women's leaders, students, youths and people from different walk of lives attended the programme, it added.

In the statement, the Zeliangrong Civil Organizations hailed the Government of India for honouring Rani Gaidinliu, the veteran freedom fighter of India, with various prestigious awards such as Padma Bhusan, Tamra Patra, Birsa Munda and for bringing out postal stamps, commemorative coins, year-long birth anniversary celebration in 2014 in recognition of her remarkable contribution and selfless service rendered towards the cause of India's freedom movement.

Appreciating the various initiatives of Government of India including the act of acknowledging the remarkable contribution of Rani Gaidinliu by naming the Coast Guard "Patrol Vessel" as "Rani Gaidinliu", the constructions of museums, guests houses, parks, statues and the plan to set up Museum cum Cultural Research Centre, Zeliangrong Civil Organizations alleged that the Government of India is still ignoring and neglecting the actual dream and aspiration of Rani Gaidinliu, whose real objective was to keep the Zeliangrong people, who were divided in different regions by the British colonial administration, secure under one administrative unit of Union of India, maintained the statement.

The statement further mentioned that the Government of India is well aware about the struggle of Rani Gaidinliu that after she came out from the prison, after serving long prison sentences, had continued the movement to secure the future of Zeliangrong people by forming Zeliangrong People's Convention (ZPC) and launched very strong people's movement in 1980s to draw the attention of the Government of India and alleged that the promises made by GoI to Rani Gaidinliu to fulfil her dream and aspiration were "hollow promises" and demeaned the remarkable contribution of the freedom fighter.

The Government of India should keep in mind that the Zeliangrong people are the "most suffered and disadvantage people" in post Independence India despite the fact of remarkable contribution rendered towards the cause of India's struggle for Independence due to lack of commitment and sincerity to address the grievance of Zeliangrong people and due to failure to value the contribution of Rani Gaidinliu by the Indian leaderships, the statement added and maintained that the "eye wash policy" adopted by GoI by taking up development projects in the name of honouring Rani Gaidinliu without fulfilling her actual aspiration and dream will be tantamount to suppressing her people in the name of honouring her contribution.

The Zeliangrong Civil Organizations on her 104th birth anniversary urged the Gol to fulfill the promises made to Rani Gaidinliu and address the grievances of the Zeliangrong people if the Indian leaderships genuinely want to honor the veteran freedom fighter, added the statement.

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