Life in Independent India
When India became free, Rani Gaidinliu was released on Prime Minister Nehru's orders from Tura jail, having spent 14 years in various prisons. She was however not allowed to return home to her native village in Manipur and she stayed at Vimrap village of Tuensang with her younger brother Marang till 1952. In 1952, she was finally allowed to move back to her native village of Longkao. In 1953, Prime Minister Nehru visited Imphal where Rani Gaidinliu met and conveyed to him the gratitude and goodwill of her people. Later she met Nehru in Delhi to discuss the development and welfare of Zeliangrong people.
Independent India also had to contend with an insurgency among the Nagas. The rebel Naga leaders criticized Rani Gaidinliu’s movement for integration of Zeliangrong tribes under one administrative unit. They were also opposed to her working for the revival of the traditional Naga religion of animism or Heraka. The NNC leaders considered her actions an obstacle to the Naga struggle. The Baptist leaders deemed the Heraka revival movement anti-Christian and she was warned of serious consequences if she were not to change her stand. In order to defend the Heraka culture and to strengthen her position, she went underground in 1960. She organized a private army of about a thousand men equipped rifles to defend and press for her demand for a single Zeliangrong district. In 1964, the overground Zeliangrong leaders in consultation with underground leaders led by Rani Gaidinliu, demanded “a separate Zeliangrong Administrative Unit or Political Unit” within the Union of India.
In 1966, after six years of hard underground life in old age, under an agreement with the Government of India, Rani Gaidinliu came out from her jungle hideout to work for the betterment of her people through peaceful, democratic and non-violent means. Her followers were absorbed into the Nagaland Armed Forces.
During her stay at Kohima, she was conferred “Tamrapatra Freedom Fighter Award” in 1972, the Padma Bhushan (1981) and the Vivekananda Seva Award (1983). She returned to Longkao (tousem sub division) tamenglong district of manipur in 1991 where she died on 17 February 1993 at the age of 78.
The Governor of Manipur, Chintamani Panigrahi, the Home Secretary of Nagaland, officials from Manipur and many people from all parts of the North Eastern region attended her funeral at her native village on February 29, 1993. In Imphal, the Chief Minister of Manipur R.K. Dorendro Singh, Deputy Chief Minister, Rishang Keishing and others paid floral tributes and a general holiday was declared by the State Government.
Rani Gaidinliu was also conferred the “Birsa Munda Award” posthumously. The Government of India issued a postal stamp in her honour in 1996.
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