Gaidinliu
The British took political control of north-eastern India in the 1830s. The laws they enacted were often at odds with local traditions and customs and caused resentment among the people, notably the Nagas.
The disaffection simmered for several decades and came to a boil when Christian missionaries arrived in the region and began to preach a new way of life.
The Nagas united under a social and religious reformer, Jadonang, who taught them the importance of education and the need to discard useless and superstitious customs. In 1931, under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi, Jadonang started a Naga Civil Disobedience Movement (also known as the Zeliangrong Movement) in the Naga Hills.
He proclaimed ‘Naga Raj’—freedom for the Nagas from the British. Alarmed, the British arrested Jadonang and hanged him on the false charge of murdering some traders. This further infuriated the Nagas.
They chose Jadonang’s 16-year-old cousin, Gaidinliu, as their leader. Gaidinliu organised an army and a network of spies who reported every movement of the British troops to her. All able-bodied men were enlisted as warriors and trained to fight. She urged the people not to pay taxes and they obeyed her. They willingly contributed to her cause. With the money, she bought some guns.
Alarmed at her increasing popularity, the British tried their best to capture her. But she moved swiftly from place to place and under assumed names. Finally, on 17 October 1932, Capt. Macdonald surrounded a fort she was rebuilding and launched an attack. Gaidinliu, her brother and other followers were taken prisoners.
The teen rebel was sentenced to life imprisonment and was kept in several prisons in the northeast. Jawaharlal Nehru visited her in 1937, and impressed by her valour, called her ‘Daughter of the Hills’ and gave her the title of ‘Nagarani’. Despite his best efforts, he could not get her released. She spent another decade in prison until 1947 when India became independent.
Gaidinliu continued to work for her community after her release. She was bestowed the Padma Bhushan in 1982. The gallant Nagarani passed away on 17 February 1993.
