EMN
Dimapur, November 2
Nagaland Tribe Council has warned the State government of the risk of promoting the memory of Gaidinliu in Nagaland so as to prevent communal tension.
NTC President Lendinoktang Ao and General Secretary Nrimbemo Ngullie in a release recalled, “There were few Naga Villages who fought against the intrusion of British when they first came to Naga country on expedition. Those fights of the Nagas against the British were for self defence and those combats were never for Indian nationhood. Today, some Hinduism sycophants amongst the Nagas have been projecting a woman named Gaidinliu as though, on behalf of the Nagas, she joined Indian national movement and became part of Indian freedom fighters. The assertion is a complete misnomer and it has no political and historical validity whatsoever in the context of Naga political history.”
NTC said, “Gaidinliu indeed fought against the Naga National Movement under the aegis of NNC. Her anti-NNC was not theoretical but reactionary as she along with her followers resorted to murdering of several NNC cadres. Today, those who are idolizing a person who was responsible for shedding innocent blood are hurting the sentiment of the kith and kin of Gaidinliu’s victims.
The NTC has come across the pleadings of the relatives of particularly those of her 9 victims not to idolize or venerate such murderer in the manner of proposing to erect a foundation stone or build a Heraka hostel somewhere in Peren district in memory of Gaidinliu which in turn is like rubbing salt to injury.
Instead of attempts to venerate Gaidinliu, NTC feels that the nearest kith and kin of this lady must tender apology to the relatives and descendants of her victims and seek forgiveness from them in the interest of peaceful coexistence.”
“According to common Naga custom, when a person intentionally or accidentally killed a fellow Naga, the killer has to be excommunicated from the village for at least 7 years. Gaidinliu and her followers cannot have exception though at that time those who faced the brunt of her onslaught were less than robust enough to bring the culprits within the purview of customary law, letting her and her cohorts go scot-free did never justify the killings. Therefore, veneration of such kingpin of the massacre of innocent Nagas in any manner is definitely against Naga customs and culture and will create bad precedence. It is therefore not advisable to honour Gaidinliu in Nagaland although NTC has nothing to interfere into the interest of people outside Nagaland.”
The NTC asserted, “Gaidinliu did not belong to Nagaland but to Manipur as rightly claimed by the Chief Minister of Manipur Sri. Ibobi. She was a refugee here in Nagaland and without any contribution to Nagaland except being a liability at the expense of the indigenous people during her life time. Indeed, a refugee cannot be treated better than the sons of the soil without justification.”
“From Kampai to Heraka, it is nothing less than a cult as per its characteristics, and it is found totally different from traditional animism. Such cult and the occult practiced by Gaidinliu are alien and a threat to Christian culture. Whereas, the people of Heraka faith have expressively closer ties with Hinduism. As of today, the Heraka pioneers are zealously propagating the cult with the tacit back up from Hinduism fundamentalists whereby there have been covert and overt clashes with Christian faith often tend to produce tension between sections, the release said.
