Z. Lohe
This is in reply to the Director of Art & Culture whose rejoinder was published in local papers under the caption ‘Respect and honour to the freedom fighter’ dated 7.8.2015.
The opening sentence runs as ‘…some wrong misconceptions created by an article….’ implies that if misconceptions are wrong, the conception (my article) is right. The second sentence goes to say that ‘….Shri. Z. Lohe had dragged in the name of Shri. T.R. Zeliang, the Hon’ble CM….’. I dragged nothing or anyone in the name of the Chief Minister Sri. T.R. Zelaing, but I directly implicated the Chief Minister that he too is behind Heraka movement along with the Hon’ble Governor of Nagaland Sri. B.P. Acharya. I had to believe what I have seen once in local media about the proud announcement by Heraka Association that the Governor is the Chief Patron and the CM T.R Zeliang is the Patron for celebration of birth centenary of Gaidinliu this year. It is also a tasting time for the Director (A&C) to do the errand of power that be and get pricked mentally, perhaps, from the recollection of a story of how people succumbed to worship the image of Nebuchadnezzar barring only four in a kingdom. By the way, the above are more of entertainment than of seriousness.Coming to business, the statement implies as though I was equally responsible for the proposal of the project or getting fund from DONER ministry for Gaidinliu memorial building at Kohima during my attachment to former CM N. Rio. Neither the proposal nor pursuance for fund for such project was never my cup of tea at any point of time during the whole of my tenure. In all probability, the then Planning Minister under Rio’s ministry who was no other than the present CM T.R. Zeliang would be knowing the inns and outs of how the project in question was taken up and got it approved. As for me, my conscience is clear and I have the moral gut to give 100% chance to Hon’ble CM Zeliang to claim every credit for this memorial project.
It is none of my botheration of how many awards were conferred by what authority on Gaidinliu during her life time or posthumously. I also do not give much credence to the title ‘Rani’ prefixed to Gaidinliu whose father, I believe, was never a Raja at Lungkau Village in Tamenlong District in Manipur nor do I believe she married to any known Raja. I therefore tend to believe that whoever gave that prefix Rani title did it so out of taunting and ridicule rather than ‘lovingly conferred’ as deserved.
Again, I am hardly bothered of how Gaidinliu was entertained by Govt. of Nagaland during her life time.
What I am interested is to question her defenders and followers including the Director as to how and why Gaidinliu was ostracised from her native village, Lungkau? Do her followers know what political principle Gaidinliu upheld? By history, Gaidinliu opposed the movement of NNC, and that was how she murdered not less than 9 NNC cadres. By the deed of this crime, she posed as though she was Indian nationalist. Yet the inconsistency in her principle was that during the Interim Govt., when three messengers from Nzauna (I doubt the spelling) Village were returning after submitting the house tax from their village to the erstwhile Circle Officer at Peren, Gaidinliu and her followers waylaid and killed all those three near Mbaupunglwa, the Village of the CM T.R. Zeliang. By the second crime, she posed as though she was against established Govt. under Indian Union.
I therefore understand the so called movement of Gaidinliu was nothing more than dacoity. See her teachings of falsehood. Gaidinliu used to misguide the students in her domain that a student need not study the text book, but rather place the book under the pillow and sleep upon it and it will make one learn everything in that book by heart. Her followers had hypnotised the ignorant and gullible public that when a donor donates a barn of paddy, he will receive double of it and when a mithun is donated two mithuns will be received in return.
Only fools will believe in such philosophy of Gaidinliu.
Heraka is definitely a cult and Gaidinliu was the founder. Hopefully her memorial building will be completed soon known as Rani Gaidinliu Museum-cum-Library. It is my speculation that Gaidinliu’s statue may be erected at the museum-cum-library. RSS may take advantage of this and try to promote Hindu mythology as Heraka is Hinduism and Hinduism is Heraka. I can also imagine on the day of the birth centenary of Gaidinliu the said building may be inaugurated with much fanfare. To which a Rev. or a Pastor from any denomination is invited to dedicate it, one may feel pleased to do so. If at all it happens as speculated, the RSS will be very happy that Dagon and Asherim are more important than the Great God Jehovah in Nagaland.
If a building is dedicated to a dacoit or a cult leader, what Nagaland is contemplating to dedicate in memory of those pioneers without whose leadership and sacrifices, people of Nagaland would not have come this far. To name few as AZ Phizo, Dr. Imkongliba, P. Shillu Ao, etc., etc., etc.
Let me not complete the story for now.
