
Imphal, Aug. 27: Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh today said a statue of Naga freedom fighter Rani Gaidinliu would be installed at a suitable place in Imphal.
"For the past year, we have been working on installing freedom fighter Rani Gaidinliu's statue in Imphal to honour her contribution to the freedom struggle and also her fight against the British rulers," said Ibobi Singh.
The government has constituted an official committee to look into all the requirements to install the statue. The committee was looking for a suitable site where the statue would be erected, added Ibobi Singh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ibobi Singh attended the Naga freedom fighter's centenary commemoration on August 24 in New Delhi. On that occasion, Modi released coins of the denominations of Rs 100 and Rs 5 with Gaidinliu's image at Vigyan Bhawan.
Kabui Samiti of Manipur hailed the Centre for releasing coins with Gaidinliu's image.
Gaidinliu was born on January 26, 1915, in present-day Tamenglong district of Manipur and died in 1993. The Naga spiritual and political leader, who led an armed uprising against the British in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam, belonged to the Rongmei tribe (also known as Kabui). In 1927, at the age of 13, Gaidinliu, along with her cousin Haipou Jadonang, joined the Heraka movement, which aimed at revival of the Naga tribal religion and establish self-rule of the Nagas (Naga Raj) ending the British rule.
She was arrested in 1932 when she was just 16, and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the British rulers. Between 1932 and 1947, the Naga freedom fighter was kept at several prisons across the Northeast.
The Manipur government's announcement to install Gaidinliu's statue came as Haipou Jadonang Statue and Park Development Committee is planning to unveil a bronze statue of the leader at Jadonang Memorial Park in Imphal city on his 84th death anniversary on Saturday.
The British hanged Jadonang on August 29, 1931. Several commemoration programmes are held across the state every year on this day to pay tribute to him.
Zeliangrong Boudi, a citizens' organisation, appealed to the Zeliangrong community to observe August 29 as Martyrs' Day. Zeliangrong Boudi secretary Gainithoi Gonmei appealed to villagers, religious groups, clubs and educational institutions of the community (Zeliangrong) to observe the day.
Both Jadonang and Gaidinliu belonged to the Zeliangrong community. Kabui Mothers Association, another citizens' group, hailed Ibobi Singh for his proposal to include Rani Gaidinliu's life story in the NCERT textbooks.
Ibobi Singh urged the Centre to include Rani Gaidinliu's life story in NCERT textbooks during his speech at the centenary commemoration in New Delhi.