Take the example of Rani Gaidinliu of Nagaland

Take the example of Rani Gaidinliu of Nagaland. She had led a heroic guerilla war against the British and when defeated by the mightier army, was awarded life imprisonment in a ‘fair trial’ at the age of 16. Pt. Nehru met her in Kohima jail and wrote poetically about her heroism calling her “fit to be a Rani”, hence the title of Rani with her name. AfterIndependence it was again Nehru who made her see out of jail. Smt Indira Gandhi awarded her the Padma Bhushan and also a Tamra Patra in the silver jubilee year of theIndependence. But Kohima Church and the Christian leaders of the NSCN opposed vehemently when a proposal was put up to have her statue in Kohima after her death, because she had declared her Heraka and Zeliangrong movement Hindu and had refused steadfastly to convert to Christianity.

To convert a Vanvasi, his beliefs, customs and deities are condemned, pronounced ‘incapable to provide salvation’, his entire worldview is sought to be replaced with Romanised conceptions and way of worship. It was the fear of this aggression that made Congress leader and the present CM of Arunachal Pradesh to create a Dony Polo mission and start highly motivated Vanvasi public educational institutions so that his people are saved from conversion threats.

The image of Naga society in length and breadth of the country was (i) that cent-per-cent Nagas have converted to Christianity (ii) that all Nagas were anti-Hindu and anti-India and (iii) that all Nagas were wild, savage and raw-meat enters. In America, Britain and other Christian countries, Nagas were described as wild, savage, naked, head-hunters and with no religion. I have visited several mega cities in the country. I have visited several villages in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and other states, I have lived in several Hindu families. When Hindu hosts knew that I was a Naga girl, they whispered. They could not believe that a Naga person could be so refined in all respect. It was not the mistake of Hindu hosts. It was the mistake of our own. Because we allowed foreign Christian missionaries to propagate that we-Nagas, were wild, savage, heathen, naked, head-hunters and raw-meat enters. This propaganda is still made in foreign countries with a view to collect more and more donations for Church work in Nagaland Rani Gaidinliu and later, Pou N.C. Zeliang opposed this malacious propaganda against Naga society. For this deed, both of them were cursed and victimised. Rani Ma toured the country, established close contact with Hindu organisations and cleared the cloud of misconception against Nagas from the mind of Hindus. Earlier Rani Ma, later Pou N.C. Zeliang and now Shri Ramkui Wangbe Newme, President of Zeliangrong Heraka Association have been telling us that any Naga who is neither Christian nor Muslim, falls under the category of Hindu. Because of their untiring efforts, the image of Naga society is improved and brightened in the country. The ‘terrorist’ image of us is dampening and fading away and prudent and prowess image of Nagas is emerging fast.

“Invasion by foreign religion and foreign culture will pose danger to Naga identity. Beware of this danger”.
—Rani Gaidinliu had said.