North-East India's history, resplendent with profound Hindu (Sanatan) influence and a rich, vibrant tapestry of civilisational heritage, is unfortunately shrouded by the heavy-handedness of the prevailing Leftist narratives. These narratives, informed by ideologically driven biases, offer an alarmingly skewed representation of the region's history, conveniently sidestepping the compelling dynamics between the mushrooming of Christianity and the parallel emergence of secessionist movements within the region.

The textbooks of NCERT, consumed by millions of students across the country, appear to draw an invisible borderline at Bengal. They offer but a fleeting nod towards the Ahom dynasty of Assam, and give a regrettable cold shoulder to the incredible tales of bravery, cultural vibrancy, and historical richness of the North-East. This neglect of such crucial chapters of India's past is the result of the intellectual arrogance and hypocritical selectiveness of the Left. It leads to the oblivion of unsung heroes like Haipou Jadonang Malangmei (1905-1931) whose contributions to the struggle for freedom deserve recognition.

Haipou Jadonang was more than just a freedom fighter from the Rongmei tribe of the Nagas; he was a staunch guardian of indigenous faith and culture against the intrusive forces of the British colonisers and Christian missionaries. The Rongmei tribe, part of the larger Zeliangrong community - a vibrant combination of four cognate groups, Zemei, Liangmei, Rongmei, and Inpui - upheld their age-old religious beliefs that stood resilient against the foreign imposition of Christianity that began infiltrating their society in the early 1920s.

Jadonang, enlightened by his inherent spiritual wisdom, self-proclaimed himself a Guru with an unshakeable resolve to emancipate his kinsfolk from the suffocating grip of British rule. His staunch resistance was not born in isolation; he was deeply influenced by the Kuki Rebellion (1917-19) and the frequent intrusion of British forces into his native village. His spiritual depth, healing prowess, and leadership qualities gradually carved a niche for him in the hearts of his community, his popularity soaring to heights that prickled the British oppressors. The notion of 'Zeliangrong Fraternity,' a beacon of unity in the face of British imperialism, was a brainchild of Jadonang. Regrettably, the short-sighted and divisive policies of post-independence Congress governments fragmented the resource-laden Zeliangrong lands across Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland, a historical injustice that continues to rankle the community.

Born in the humble setting of a peasant family in Kambiron (now part of Tamenglong district, Manipur), Jadonang and his elder brother Mudunang grew up witnessing the dubious activities of British soldiers, officials, and traders. The unjust tax collection, the oppressive porter system, and the intrusive preaching of Christian evangelists cast a lasting impression on the young Jadonang, fuelling his resistance against these oppressive forces.

Jadonang perceived Christianity as a strategic tool used by the British to gradually erode the indigenous societies and their religious systems. In their quest for survival, many Zeliangrong families converted to Christianity, hoping their new-found faith would alleviate their economic hardships. Amidst these troubled times, Jadonang's vision of a revival of indigenous Naga culture, an organised political resistance against the British, and ushering in of social change began to take root and shape.

Jadonang's childhood was anything but ordinary, peppered with mystical experiences that intrigued his mother and the local populace. His frequent retreats to the spiritually significant Zeilad Lake, where he would slip into trance-like states for days on end, endowed him with the uncanny ability to foretell the future. This marvel, coupled with his expertise in local medicinal practices, earned him the revered title of Mhu, a spiritual guide, healer, and preacher. Following a ceremony called Ralen-Loumei, Jadonang was officially bestowed the title of Mhu-Ren. He then undertook a sacred pilgrimage to the ancient Bhuvan cave in Silchar, Assam. Here, he and his followers worshipped Lord Vishnu and Tingkao Ragwang, a local deity believed to be the supreme deity residing in the cave. The unassuming village of Kambiron slowly metamorphosed into a spiritual hub, and at the heart of this transformation was the charismatic, young Jadonang, a beacon of resistance, courage, and indigenous wisdom.

The mystical Bhuvan cave, nestled amidst the unspoiled terrains of North-East India, transcended into a sanctified locus where, it is believed, Haipou Jadonang embraced the divine presence of Lord Vishnu. As the young spiritual guide journeyed repeatedly to this sacred spot, he established a close-knit relationship with the Rongmei Naga settlers residing in the Cachar district of Assam. The Zeliangrong Nagas, in their celestial realm, revered Lord Vishnu as the chief benefactor of wellbeing and prosperity for all sentient beings. This divine entity found expression in the Zeliangrong pantheon through several monikers such as Monchanu, Bonchanu, Bisnu, and Buisnu.

The young spiritual guide's pilgrimage to the Bhuvan cave marked a turning point in his spiritual journey. With the assistance of his devoted followers, Jadonang raised an east-facing temple, named Rah Kai - the House of God. Primarily intended as a place for worship and religious discourse, the Rah Kai became the locus where locals venerated the deity of Tingkao Ragwang through hymns, devotional songs, dances, and rituals, many of which were pioneered by Jadonang himself. The orientation of the temple, pointing towards the Bhuvon cave and the rising sun, symbolised a deep reverence for their spiritual origins and the promise of a new dawn.

In time, two novel religious cults - Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak (TRC) and Heraka (pure religion) - took root under the sagacious guidance of Jadonang and his cousin, Haipei Rani Gaidinilu. This marked a significant milestone in the cultural and religious history of the Zeliangrong people. Heraka, a monotheistic cult, worshipped Tingkao Ragwang, the Supreme Being, while incorporating the veneration of lesser gods and deities. In contrast, Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak was rooted in polytheism, giving precedence to the worship of multiple gods and goddesses, although it held the worship of Tingkao Ragwang in the highest regard. While evil spirits (Rahsi-Rahrou) were not worshipped, they were propitiated to safeguard humanity from their mischief.

Jadonang and Gaidinliu, through these religious cults, succeeded in uniting the Zeliangrong community and presented a formidable counterforce to the silent encroachment of Christian missionaries. Importantly, their teachings, contrary to certain misconceptions, were not anti-Christian. Rather, they focused on the preservation of traditional faiths and practices against foreign religious imposition.

Jadonang was acutely aware of the escalating Christian proselytisation activities and the threat they posed to the traditional religious beliefs and practices. He recognised the need to cleanse the local religion from the morass of superstitions and irrational taboos, and introduce new ideas that would harmonise with the evolving needs of his people. To combat the missionaries' conversion attempts, he spearheaded the construction of temples known as Karumkai, embellished with various python images, in Zeliangrong-dominant areas.

Contrary to certain Western writers and historians like F.S. Downs, who accused Jadonang's 'Naga-Raj' Movement as anti-Christian, such criticism overlooks the movement's essential philosophy. The struggle was about safeguarding an indigenous belief system from displacement by a foreign faith. Notably, the opposition came not only from the British but also from neo-Christian converts among the Nagas.

Christian missionaries were heavily dependent on colonial authorities for financial support and political protection. In return, they supplemented the British colonisers' efforts, endorsing the so-called "civilising mission" of the colonial state by providing social goods such as education and medical care. In doing so, they gained the trust and confidence of the natives, easing their conversion agenda.

Envisioning a future of 'Naga-Raj' or 'Makam Gwangdi', Jadonang rallied the Naga people in the Zeliangrong regions (presently part of Manipur, Nagaland, and Assam) to form a unified resistance against their common foe, the British. With the rallying cry Makameirui Gwangtupuni (meaning, 'the Nagas would rule one day'), he aspired for an independent Naga kingdom that would bring an end to inter-village conflicts and communal tensions among various tribes.

Jadonang journeyed across lands, reaching out to his Naga brethren, garnering support for his political leadership. Donning formal British attire, he often travelled incognito on horseback. However, his cover was blown in 1928 when S.J. Duncan, a British-appointed Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), challenged Jadonang to dismount and remove his hat. When Jadonang refused, he was taken to Tamenglong for interrogation, subsequently facing a week-long imprisonment.

The episode of his arrest coincided with the arrival of the Simon Commission, an event that significantly roused public sentiment against the British colonial rule in India. This fortuitous conjunction of events remarkably catapulted Jadonang's popularity amongst the masses.

After being released from the clutches of his captors, Jadonang, not one to be intimidated by the immense power of the British Empire, decided to respond with military action. His vision led to the formation of the Heraka army, also known as Riphen. It was a formidable force that boasted of a distinct battalion solely for women, commanded by the resilient Rani Gaidinilu. This troop was adept in local military strategies, mastering skills like spear-throwing, making gunpowder, handling weapons, and conducting reconnaissance missions. It's crucial to understand that their strength was not solely limited to military prowess. They also held a deep understanding of the local terrain and used it to assist civilians in daily chores like farming, rearing livestock, collecting firewood, and more. Thus, they successfully bridged the gap between military power and social responsibility.

Jadonang's charisma was far-reaching. His love for his people and land was eloquently expressed through songs, which he composed to laud the Nagas' struggle against British rule. He went a step further by forming military alliances with various neighboring tribes inhabiting the North Cachar Hills, Naga Hills, and Tamenglong Sub-Division. His popularity soared to such heights that tribal communities willingly offered taxes and tributes to him, seeing in him a leader, a savior. He was ever-vigilant, cautioning locals about secret British missions and warning them of the dangers of Christian missionaries.

It's worth noting that following the Revolt of 1857, the British Government in India had adopted a policy of non-interference in the social and religious affairs of the Hindu society. However, this policy seemed to have bypassed the North-East. Here, the Church continued to thrive, its growth aiding the British to cement their rule over this resource-rich region. Even after India gained its independence, the Church, under the guise of "charity," actively pursued its activities, which, far from being benign, seemed aimed at destroying native cultural practices, including the worship of local deities.

One must pay heed to an agreement struck in the 1960s between Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, and Dr. Verrier Elwin, a renowned anthropologist. This agreement led to the formal prohibition of sadhus' entry into the state of Nagaland. Notably, the Christian population in Nagaland had surged from a mere 20% in 1947 to a staggering 88% according to the Census data of 2011. This shift did not occur in a vacuum but was facilitated by the fact that Elwin was appointed as the Anthropological Adviser to the Government of NEFA, today's Arunachal Pradesh. Elwin held the belief that India was never a united entity with a shared heritage and that the tribal communities were the "original aborigine inhabitants". His policies, while aiming to preserve tribal cultures, inadvertently gave Christian proselytisers free rein, resulting in both inter and intra community hostilities, and leading to the creation of a "separate" Christian state of Nagaland. A lack of deeper understanding about their own faith among the locals made them more susceptible to the wave of Christian influence.

Returning to the awe-inspiring story of Haipou Jadonang, we find a man deeply inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's principles of 'Satyagraha' and 'Civil Disobedience'. From 1930 onwards, he ramped up his activities against the colonial regime, despite being under the scrutiny of the Church. He made a radical call for his people to cease paying all forms of taxes immediately. This bold move drew the ire of the British Government, who now perceived Jadonang and his activities as a direct threat to their authority and legitimacy in the North-East. It's necessary to mention here that the British had a ruthless policy of convicting any revolutionary or rebel who dared to challenge their authority as a murderer. The harrowing stories of Bir Tikendrajit and Thangal of Manipur, Khudiram Bose, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Raj Guru, Surya Sen, and many others, testify to this fact.

The British Government, through J.C. Higgins, the then political agent of Manipur, implicated and arrested Jadonang on a concocted charge of murdering four Manipuri betel-leaf traders. On August 29, 1931, at the tender age of 26, Jadonang was hanged till death by the orders of the British Government. This execution, carried out in full public view on the banks of the Nambul river behind the Imphal Jail, did nothing to break his spirit. He embraced death fearlessly.

Jadonang's legacy lives on. He is revered as a great saint and socio-religious reformer among the Nagas of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. His death anniversary on August 29 is commemorated every year, especially in the Zeliangrong inhabited areas of these states, with patriotic songs, dance, and festivities. At his birthplace, Kambiron village, the same day is observed as Martyr’s Day by the Jadonang United Sports Association (JUSA) in collaboration with the Haipou Jadonang Memorial Trust and the Puilion Village Authority.

As we look forward, it's of utmost importance that our future generations learn and know about the story of this extraordinary leader and proud son of India. His potent resistance movement against British rule and Christian missionaries has, until now, been largely overlooked by the Government of India. While some academic circles resort to terms such as 'Hindu revivalism', 'cultural appropriation' and more to critique organizations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), it's essential to remember that at least some efforts are being made to bring forgotten heroes like Jadonang into the spotlight. The tendency to label tribal faith systems as 'animism', thus setting them apart from mainstream Hinduism, is nothing but a divisive strategy. In truth, the worship of nature, often labeled as animism, is deeply rooted in Sanatan Dharma, which which reveres life in all forms. As we reflect on our history, it's crucial to challenge the standardized narratives and give due recognition to the lesser-known heroes like Haipou Jadonang, who remain unsung despite their invaluable contributions to our nation.