Historical perspective in view
G. Gwangphun
History rejected is people denied. The history of Gaidinliu; Queen of India is a story of freedom struggle, religious reformation and a conflicting personality reflected as sandwich between true and false about her. She bore a complex personality trait yet a pious lady upon whom rested the lot of liberation movement to free the Nagas from the mighty colonial hand of tyranny; the British. Nagas need to make their history straight from the start to the destiny. Rani Gaidinliu is one among other whom India put on historical record straight. Denying her is denying the History of the Nagas’ struggle for independent/freedom. India recognized, respected and regarded the Nagas as a distinct people living on the hilltops of the Northeast India in the south east Asia Region.
Rani Gaidinliu as Icon:
Gandhiji and Gaidinliu endearingly called by Indian as Bapu and Ranima turned icons of India in a way unique. In every society there are always promoters and destroyers of human dignity and good deeds from among the common people. Nevertheless, nature has so shaped that raging storm smoothen man. Therefore, opposing current is naturally a refining force to perfection. This must continue in the nature. Man proposes God dispose. Proposal and disposal is the natural phenomenon of the universe.
The name Gaidinliu becomes an Icon/idol and a common household name, at the same time the most controversial personal identity among the Nagas. To India and the world, she outstands as a worthy soul. She was uplifted to the height of world admiration for her courageous deed well recorded in the history of the country. She is also rejected to the root and dust by critics at Naga-home. Historically and politically, She deserved to be honored by one and all. Hence India did it to a Naga lady freedom fighter. She has created the record of being called/ entitled the admiral Queen of India by her noble and admirable deed of heroism. Posthumously India lately but deservingly enthroned her to the highest seat of Indian Royalty by inscribing her image/idol in the Indian coin. Such a scaling and soaring height of honor and recognition is the model status of Indian culture of humility and humanity.
Nagas’ reign has come as come the time of opportune for the Nagas to sing and shine with a shout of triumphant entry into the world of the third millennium.
Gaidinliu as Queen of India:
The wind of change over the Nagas is blowing to flare up the flame of fame to both Nagas and Indian. Unfortunate to state that, many Nagas are ignorantly still questioning and rejecting Gaidinliu’s credibility to be called the Rani (Queen) without realizing the political and historical logic of the title bestowed upon the Naga lady by time tested wisdom of India. Reasoned that, her unique and charismatic personality; Charming, valiant, virtuoso, genius, visionary insight, noble hearted patriotism, and high sense of humanity that Nehru had observed, perceived, admired and concluded of her as a Queen fighter of India from Naga hills like that of Laxmi Bhai of Jhansi the Queen fighter of India from Jhansi native. She was a woman of integrity. However Nagas did not recognize her as Rani or even not willing to accept her as a Naga freedom fighter of India much to the disadvantage of Nagaland. Nagas’ mentality seems to have a civic deficiency. Had Gaidinliu not been born to a Naga family in such a time when Nagaland state was not yet conceived, Naga Hills might still be Assam Hills District or something else differently unimaginable might have shaped the Nagas.
Nagas’ pride and greed, brute and blunt are revealing and reflecting in Medias and social life. Naga Christianity is appearing more of anti-Naga and anti-Naga National than Rani Gaidinliu was alleged or implicated and reflected to be by some Naga Christian critic writers. Many Nagas are still mentally living in their world of isolation and ignorance and are adverse and strange to outside world of diversity and pluralism. The issue of Rani Gaidinliu has awakened the Nagas today. Thanks God that she was born as a Naga and fought as a Naga freedom fighter for India in which Nagaland is one accounted and born as an Indian state. It was Gaidinliu whom Nehru favored and considered for her Naga state in one hand and it was also to end the Naga National insurgency (NNC) on the other hand, Nehru wanted to deal and settle it by armed force or political measure. When state demand was placed on the table in Indian parliament in 1960, the word “Nagaland” to be given name for the Naga state, an air of denial and debate argument took hard time. Nehru resolved it to be given as Nagaland with special status. He in his word, “ A large autonomy limit” to the Nagas. Nehru was the creator of Nagaland state. It was Nehru who aired Gaidinliu to be stationed at the state capital as the recognized Queen of the Nagas of India. Gaidinliu as an influencer and Nehru as the mastermind pillar of the creation of the present Nagaland state. When Rani Gaidinliu moved a memorandum for a separate Zeliangrong statehood in the Congress Planery Session Culcutta in 1977, Indira Gandhi with a sort of surprise told her, “Nagaland state is already given. If you had such a vision and plan, you should have told my father during 1950s”. She did not live to see Her dream home land neither got a sense of comfort of hope assured by the Naga people. She has gone down to her grave in sorrow with heavy burdens unloaded. Nagas today are still tormenting her spirit with bitter resentment and rejection. India with all sense of humanity has paid a deserving homage and royal honor to her and the Nagas in general by act of inscription of Gaidinliu in Indian currency.
Regretted to state also that, the early Rongmei Christian public has put many wrong allegations and false or imaginary make-up propagandas against Jadonang and Gaidinliu. The fact has spread far and near reaching the shore of the whole Nagas society. she was alleged by the Rongmei Christian community to have practiced human sacrifice, drink human blood, practice witchcraft, possessed with evil spirits and many more so.
It is well and true that dreamers, planners, patriots, reformers, writers are the shapers and makers of human civilization and makers of their afterworld civilization.They faced critics’ blows and bruised yet their names bloom bright in the pages of the world history. Critics always find scars and spots in others of what they are blind to see in themselves. So also Gaidinliu was hated by critics and skeptical Christian. Quality of a nation is the character of its citizens. Citizens reveal the character of the nation.
According to her own statement, she said, “ I am a simple illiterate woman, I pleased no spirit and worship none except Almighty God. Human blood is pious to me as to anybody else” she also said, “I regard only that omnipotent God who is the protector of all. Why would I sacrifice the human beings just to please the souls?”-Rani interviewed by Kusumlata nayyar p-58. Nagas must not continue to live in speculative knowledge. “Can you imagine that a man would ever drink a man’s blood?” Was her response to Chakravatri a journalist. When asked whether she was a black magic, she said, if I were it, “I would do all with it in Delhi to take all that I want from Delhi”
All religion rooted from animism to organized faith through process of reformations. The Nagas have not developed their own indigenous religion/faith. The originality of the Nagas with their ancient culture and religion are lost in obscurity by embracing Christianity. Nagas are people who lost their history of origin. Naga are fading the flavor of true Christianity to the near raw culture of head hunting re-emerging in the modern form of gun culture. Sense of humane Morality in Christianity is deadened. Therefore, Naga Christian is cruel heretics who suppress their own ancient practice of faith. Heraka is a reformed religion of the Zeliangrong Nagas which is the only reformed religion of the Naga indigenous faith to be preserved and promoted to substantiate the History of the Nagas. The notion that, Heraka is anti Christian as Christian also to be anti-Heraka in equal measure. The word Heraka simply mean Holy God whom Christian called God of heavens.Intellectually both must respect each other’s faith in the spirit of Indian constitutional secularism. Many times Christians are extreme in the condemnation or conversion of Heraka religion. Ranima was a spiritual religious leader of Heraka’s faith as much as any Christian leaders in their own respective faith.
During the later part of her movement, the NNC leaders from Zeliangrong region played a policy of double edged sword to finish the Heraka reformed faith in 1959-1960 with the support of the Christians and let loosed the tyranny of converting the remnant preservers of the fading ancient Naga faith/religion by brute force and persecution upon the little remnant group who still thought and determined to keep the history of the Naga ancient root and origin of the Naga people alive. since then NNC Zeliangrong region was recognized as the arch enemy of the Naga indigenous remnant faith now called Heraka. It is wonder struck to know the twist and blame upon the Defending force of Gaidinliu called Khampai/Riphian that the NNC offensive operation was considered to be right and defensive measures to protect the Naga historical legacy and heritage was termed and branded as anti-Naga. It might have extremely hurt and angered Gaidinliu. Christians were heretics attempted to rid of indigenous faith when it was trying to reform the faith in the light of the flooding Christian faith that was sweeping in the whole of Naga hills. The social aim of this movement was to preserve, and practice the rich and highly evolved Naga culture and religion.
The Greek ambassador Heliodoros set up a pillar in honor of Vishnu near Vidisa in Madhya Pradesh, the famost Greek ruler Menander was converted to Budhism. The Kushan rulers worshipped both and Budha and the images of these two appear on the Kushan coins. Sufism was a reformed religion out of Muslim and no rejection meted to them, India is a multi religious country where Nagaland in one of Indian states having Christian majority. Setting up of Rani Gaidinliu library cum Memorial museum at Kohima have nothing to do with Religious matter. It is purely of historical purpose and developmental perspective. It is too surprise to know that, many Nagas are apprehensive and fearing the project would turn to religious oriented politic of India against Naga Christian society. It simply tells that Naga Christian fear of being dominated by Hinduism. No fear is needful in such a world of religious liberty and inter-multi-religious tolerance and understanding. Naga Christians are expected to practice inter-religious tolerance and understanding and feel part of great India on mutual term of secular principle. Nagas In time past were converting Non-Christians at the same time rejecting and restricting other to practice as they do. What morality is such mentality do the Nagas have?
Nagas should have been grateful for preserving the Nagas’ indigenous way of faith and culture in the name of Heraka ( the Holy God) whom Christian too believe the same God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac of Israel‘s indigenous faith. It is surprise to know that some Naga Christians leaders are provoking Church leaders to speak out their resentment from their religious platforms against Ranima’s faith in utter rejections. It is immature on the part of Naga Christian society to oppose their own indigenous way of life which is equal to rejecting their own origin and history. It is my humble appeal and desire that Nagas make a paradigm shift of mental outlook to intellectual realm of reasoning and discernment that we may be the model humanity the world will respect, follow and be blessed.
