Rani Gaidinliu Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum

Rani Gaidiliu was one of the few female political leaders who turned out to have extraordinary fortitude throughout the colonial era of her country’s history despite the obstacles she faced. She was born on January 26, 1915, in the Manipur town of Nungkao, to Lothonang Pamei and Kachaklenliu, and grew up in Nungkao. She got involved with freedom warrior and religious leader Haipou Jadonang when she was 13. Rani Gaidinliu was a famous freedom fighter from the Tamenglong District of Manipur. This article lets us know more about the Rani Gaidinliu and Rani Gaidiliu Husband.

Early Life and Career

Gaidinliu did not have a formal education due to the scarcity of educational opportunities in the region. Her revolutionary career started in 1927 when she joined forces with her cousin Haipou Jadonang, leading the Heraka Movement, which sought to restore the Naga Tribal religion to its former glory. She became the leader of this anti-British campaign when she was 17 years old, ending her arrest and subsequent 14-year incarceration.

The Heraka Movement

The Heraka Movement is a social movement that began in Japan in the 1960s. Gaidinliu started the Heraka Movement at the age of thirteen, under the supervision of her cousin Haipou Jadonang, who served as her mentor. Jadonang initiated the drive to establish Naga self-rule and the opposition to the conversion of Nagas to Christianity. In addition to being an anti-British religious progressive movement, it was also a revolutionary project against the British Empire. In his description of the movement, Gaidinliu said that the goal was to “change outdated religious traditions to enhance the movement intended at eliminating the British from power.” With the Zeliangrong Nagas, Jadonang achieved popular success, to the point that the British saw him as a major challenge to their power in various regions of Manipur. In 1931, he was apprehended and executed by hanging during a sham trial.

The Ascension of Rani Gaidinliu and the Resultant Backlash

Gaidinliu was Jadonang’s successor, and she was now in charge of the movement’s overall direction. At the age of 17, she bravely commanded many guerrilla troops in their struggle against the British, and she became a focus of the British forces. She urged the residents of Zeliangrong to refuse to pay levies and to refuse to collaborate with the British. They banded together and refused to cooperate with the British, who imposed several harsh measures on the villagers, including collaborative fines levied by the police and Assam Rifles.

The British military mounted a search for her, forcing her to go into hiding. She travelled across Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur, stopping in several communities. The British government announced monetary prizes for any useful information regarding her whereabouts and a 10-year tax exemption for the person who provided the information about her. 

Fearing for their lives due to her increasing popularity and defiant attitude, the British government sent a special Assam Rifles unit under Captain MacDonald to seize Gaidinliu. Gaidinliu and her supporters were said to be stationed in a hamlet named Pulomi, according to an intelligence report obtained by the police. The Captain sent his troops in the other direction to deceive the rebels, causing Gaidinliu and her supporters to believe they were in a secure position. 

When the British soldiers made a surprise assault on Gaidinliu’s village on October 17, 1932, Gaidinliu and her supporters were captured without a fight. She was brought on foot to Kohima and then to Imphal, where she was brought up on charges. She was found guilty of murder and aiding and abetting murder, and she was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty. The majority of her close acquaintances were either killed or imprisoned during her time in prison. In 1937, Jawaharlal Nehru saw her in Shillong Jail and swore to work for her freedom.

Legacy of Rani Gaidinliu

Rani Gaidinliu deserves great honour and recognition due to her bravery and commitment to her nation. Gaidinliu’s heroism was undervalued in the Naga community because of the Heraka movement’s anti-Christian bias. By the 1960s, most Nagas had adopted Christianity. Also, since she was perceived to be close to the Indian government, the Naga nationalism parties didn’t acknowledge her. Her courage, sacrifice, and patriotism, on the other hand, cannot be questioned, given that she was only thirteen when she took the lead in the battle for independence from foreign authorities.

Conclusion

Rani Gaidinliu connected her people’s battle with the broader Indian liberation movement, which she referred to as “the Indian freedom struggle.” For her, the Naga people’s struggle for independence was an integral component of India’s broader struggle for independence. She also worked to propagate Gandhi Ji’s message across the Manipur area. Her spiritual leadership position as a pioneer of the socio-religious movement was intertwined with her identity as a patriot. She drew on Mahatma Gandhi’s endeavours at the national level to motivate her people to revolt against the British.