Volume-XII, Issue-II, March 2026 |
Zeliangrong Movement: A Consequential Historical Process Dr. Benjamin Gangmei, Associate Profrssor, & HOD of Dept. of Political Science, United College, Chandel, Manipur, India |
Received: 27.02.2026 | Accepted: 09.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.02W. | |||||||
ABSTRACT | ||
The Zeliangrong movement emerged as popular movement rooting in anti-colonialism and the dream believing in indigenous futurism. It began opposing anti-tribal policy of the colonial authority like flat-rate tax, forced labour, disarming, etc. which became the antecedents of the Zeliangrong movement under Jadonang Malangmei in 1920s to 1931. The movement has no actual armed conflict with the authority but the latter was apprehensive of imminent danger of his plan which posed danger to the colonial administration. His movement in Manipur hills was coincided with the submission of memorandum to Simon Commission in 1929 and Jadonang’s attempt to meet M.K Gandhi at Silchar, Assam. Therefore, colonial authority suspected him to have been infected by the Indian National Congress. Above all, Jadonang had military preparation. So, J.C Higgins sought to contain the impending conflict if not eliminate him. That prompted Higgins to implicate Jadonang to murder case of four meiteis and hanged him on 29 August 1931. The movement was continued under, Rani Gaidinliu till 1932. Under her violent conflict began between colonial security and her tenacious fighters. Therefore, the colonial authority declared her “wanted” with reward of rupees 500 to informer. After her arrest, the movement continued taking solidarity phase which included Zeliangrong homeland demand with unification of those areas inhabited by the four cognate groups living in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. This democratic movement is continuing till today. | ||
Keywords: Zeliangrong, movement, Makaam, implication, political agent, Naga Hills. |