Our Correspondent
MELURI, SEPTEMBER 8
The 5th Pochury Black Day Memorial Cup 2015 being organized by the Pochury Students’ Union (PSU) commenced Monday at Meluri Local Ground under the theme ‘Honoring the glorious past.’
A total of 12 teams are participating in this year’s tournament which will conclude on September 15.
The opening ceremony was graced by Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Dr. Neikiesalie Nicky Kire as the chief guest. In his address, Dr. Nicky saluted the martyrs for their supreme sacrifices to the Naga nation, way back in 1960.
With the Pochury Black Day Memorial Cup being held in commemoration of the 6th September Pochury Black Day, Dr. Nicky proposed for propagating the said tournament to a higher level so that stories of the martyrs be made known to every section of the Naga community.“I salute and give my respect to the martyrs for their supreme sacrifices. They (martyrs) had laid down their lives for a noble cause, for which it is desirable that the tournament be elevated to a higher level,” the Minister said. The Pochury Black Day Memorial Cup, till this year, is being organized within the Pochury community.
Commenting on sports, the minister who himself was a sportsperson during his youth days, lamented that our (Naga) sportspersons have not excelled to the desired expectation.
Making his observation known, Minister Kire said the outfit (dresses) of the players in the State, be it in any discipline, have improved with time, but not the performance in the field.
To this, he called upon the aspiring sportspersons to partake in games and sports with commitment and determination with the aim to reach the top.
“If you are serious to take part in sports, devote your time and strive with determination,” he said while pointing out the lack of commitment among Naga sportsperson. Underlining the importance of hard work and total commitment as the key to success, he also encouraged the youth to partake in sports “as it is a profession which has the scope for handsome earning and also to bring laurel to our people.”
Penthu Pochury, president of Pochury Hoho delivered the solidarity note, while the PSU presidential address was delivered by Er Joyson Pfithu. Other highlights of the inaugural function included, invocation by Z Mepingthü, youth secretary, PBCC, welcome not by Thomas Pichhuri, speaker PSU, special numbers by GMS Meluri Town and Karo Trakha, composer and song writer.
In the inaugural match, the defending champions Thuda Football Club was held to a 1-1 draw by local favorites Christian Mission School, Meluri, while in the second match, the United Brother’s Club convincingly defeated Jürükhe by 4-0
The Pochury Black Day Memorial Cup is organized by the Pochury Students’ Union with the vision to preserve, protect and promote the unique identity of the Pochury tribe and further to spread the importance of the history (through sports) which the forefathers had sacrificed and laid down their precious lives for the cause of Naga nation.
The PSU also organize this cup to transform Football within its locality by creating a platform and opportunity to the youth to develop their talents and skills in sports.
The closing ceremony would be graced by Mmhonlumo Kikon, Parliamentary Secretary for Labour, Employment and Skill Development, Border Affairs on September 15 at 11 am.
6th September is observed as the Black Day or mass mourning day of Pochury as a sign of love and respect to martyrs, especially those who had given their life and supreme sacrifices from 1st to 6th September, 1960, for the cause of the Naga nation.
When the movement for Naga independence started, the people of Pochury also gave their best service and supreme sacrifices.
The intrusion of the Indian army into Pochury land led to several battles at various places in its area. The Pochury Nagas also retaliated and attacked the Indian armies within Nazapfü range of Pochury area. Out of the 12 attacks against the Indian army, the Phor (Purr) post attack was considered to be the worst. As per historical facts, on August 24, 1960, the 14th Assam Rifles outpost at Phor was surrounded by about 90 strong heavily armed Naga army personnel, and continued the attack till August 27 (96 hours). The Indian Air Force Dakota Plane which was engaged in dropping arms and ammunition and rations to the surrounded AR outpost was also shot down by the Naga army on August 26, wherein the plane crash-landed at in the paddy field of Meluri village at Zatshü.
Reacting to that, the Government of India had imposed an order to carry out heavy operation in Pochury area, following which the Indian army personnel had committed all sorts of atrocities upon the innocent villagers by torturing, harassing and mercilessly killing many civilians. Besides, house and granaries were also burnt down and some villagers from Jekuzü, Kelof and Ngazü were forced to abandon their village making the homeless.
1. 1/9/1960 : 6 Phor village leaders were beaten black and blue, smoked with Chilly and lastly shot dead while some were bayonet to death
2. 2/9/1960 : 2 Mokie villagers (father & son) were smoked with Chilly and beaten to death.
3. 3/9/1960 : 3 Yisi villagers were smoked with Chilly and beaten to death.
4. 4/9/1960 : A GB of Laruri village was buried alive; A woman of Sütsü village was raped to death; A man from New Thewati village was burnt alive; A woman from Akhegwo was raped and shot dead; and a woman of Akhegwo was raped to death.
5. 5/9/1960 : A woman of Lephori village was raped to death, while all male-folks of the village were assembled together in a place and tortured them day-long. A captain of Naga army from Meluri village’s head was chopped off, while the Indian army personnel also cut off a man’s leg, hands and head of a man from Meluri village.
6. 6/9/1960 : The Indian army, led by Lieutenant General Thorat, comprising the contingents of Sikh and Gorkha regiments mercilessly tortured all the male-folks of Mathikhrü village and finally chopped off their heads in front of their wives and children.
