Thepfulhouvi Solo
IFS Retd (RR-68) Retd Principal Secretary, Nagaland.
The Naga Club changed the History of the Naga. Many Writers have written about it, some overdosed, others underdosed. This Writer made an attempt to bring it out ‘it is as it is’ for future generations to reminiscence it. If you like read on.
I. FORMATION OF NAGA CLUB.
Many Naga assume the Naga Labor Corp that went to Europe in 1917 on their return at the end of the World War I, 1914-1918, organized the Naga Club.
Dr. Khosa Zinyü who was the highest ranking Naga Officer that went with the Naga Labor Corp, his younger son Late Jasokie Zinyü, former Chief Minister of Nagaland told this Writer: “The idea of a forming Naga Club was formed seeing the European Club at the Kohima Town Hall (now renovated Committee Stone Building) where all the white People in the HQ in those bygone days used to gather every evening for Drinking, Dancing, Singing and spend their leisure together in recreation; the Doss & Co supplied the Drinks and the Provisions the Club required”.
“No Non-Whites, Indians or the Naga were ever allowed into the white Club. It was exclusively for the Europeans only. The Native Government Servants took the cue to form a similar native Body”.
It is said Rheichalie Pienyü Peshkar (JH. Hutton wrote his name as Hrichalie) of the DC Office was one of the first to moot the Idea of the Native Government Servants forming a Naga Club, not the Naga Labor Corp Returnees that returned from Europe. None of the Returnees except Dr. Khosa is found in the list of the Simon Commission Petition.
The Naga Labor Corp that went to Europe in support of the allied War affords, dug Trenches, collected left-over ammunitions, empty Shells, Arms, dead bodies, carried abandoned materials, Boots, Helmets etcetera and did all other works of cleaning the litters of the War in the battle field, than did sight-seeing in France.
When Dr. Khosa Zinyü of Khonoma Village left, he had just immediately before married his wife who arrived in their house clean shaven young girl in the tradition of the Angamis. In days of yore the shrewd Angami did not immediately live as husband and wife for a few months after marriage to ensure production of his own pedigree only!
After the War Dr. Khosa was taken to England and worked there for quite some time before he returned back. When he came Home, he found one young girl with long hairs doing various chores in the House. Khosa asked his mother who the young Lady was and she said him: “she is your Wife!”
Doctor Khosa must have been paid very handsomely in the UK, he was a very generous Man and on his return to Kohima presented Rs. 13/-, -a very big sum in those days, to each of a few of his close friends including my father.
Another educated Member of the Labor Corp was the well known first generation Naga Student in Shillong, Mr. Guizao Meru of Nakama Zeliang Village. He was the 1st Head Master of the Impur Mission School. He died at Impur in 1918 of the serious Influenza epidemic they Ccntracted in Europe.
The native Government employees of the Naga Club and put up a Building first at Chotobosti” on the eastern side of the Mission Compound below Baptist High School (now Americanized ‘Baptist High’) at the site the Tsütuonuomia Thinuo buildings now Stand.
Some Years after its formation, for the first time on 10th January 1929, some 20 Interpreters and Employees of the Government submitted a formal Petition to the Simon Commission in the name of the Naga Club. None of the Labor Corps members is among the signatories except Dr. Khosa Zinyü, who was a Government Doctor. The Absence of the labor corp member among the signatories of the Simon Commission Letter gives a clue that the Naga Club was composed of the Government Servants only and no other civilians, not even village Gamburas.
II. SIMON COMMISSION PETITION.
Late Teacher Rüzhükhrie told this Writer: “One early morning, I saw some Dobashis coming one after another together in a line to my house (at Mission Compound, Kohima). I asked, ‘what are you People together up to this Morning?’
They said, “‘we are coming to request you to write something of what we would like to tell a very high Visitor is said to be coming soon to Kohima from Outside. The ‘Borchaha’ (angami for the DC, JH. Hutton) has informed us a High Officer is coming soon from outside to find out how the Naga would like to be governed in future.’
‘You are the only one at the moment in Kohima educated in the white man’s Language and therefore we have come to you to write in their language of how we would like us governed in future and give the Petition to the Officer when he comes.”
Teacher Rüzhükhrie had just then done his Intermediate Arts from Saint Paul’s College Calcutta and was serving as Assistant Teacher at the Government High School Kohima now known after his Name.
The DC told Neihu Rame of Kohima Village the Head Dobashi at the Court of the Deputy Commissioner of Naga Hills, Dr. J.H. Hutton, 1917-1935, that a big Officer is coming to Kohima to enquire how the Naga would like to be looked after in future.
Neihu told the DC that he (Neihu) does not speak the language of the white man and therefore that the DC may please tell the Visitor the Naga would like to live like they were before the white man came to their land.
The DC replied he is not a Naga Dobashi and that the Naga should themselves tell or write in Paper what they would like to say and give it to the Visitor.
Teacher Rüzhükrie drafted the Letter with a Pencil and together with the Draft they went up to the DC Bangalow. (Generations later Ramuni the Commissioner of Nagaland, took the Draft from Rüzhükhrie and never returned it back).
Rüzhükhrie greeted the DC: “‘Good Morning Sir’, but the Borchaha did not acknowledge my Greeting in English and only talked with the Dobashis in Assamese and said “itu ‘kukur yat ki kuri ase?”.
The Writer’s father in the early days, once while going up to Mokokchung saw the SDO in the Road coming down to Impur. He gave way to the SDO and his entourage and greeted him in English from the side of the Mule Tract, but the SDO did not acknowledge the greeting, and simply passed by. My father never greeted him again afterwards!
(The principle Policy of the colonial Officials in those days was to keep the White Men of the Sarkar in awe of the Natives. Every white Officer was to maintain himself aloof from familiarity with the Natives and guard the Natives from their propensity to imitate the Whites.
Nearly a generation after, a friend went to America for Training and came back married with a young English Lady and narrated to me how when he met Mr. Hutton in retirement at London and was a completely changed person, very friendly, civil and nice to him).
Jasokie said a Khasi Officer, Hariblah, an EAC at the DC Office Kohima assisted in the Petition to the Simon Commission.
Many years after, in 1990s, Vilavor Liegise, the so-called Secretary of Naga Club said Teacher Rüzhükhrie also narrated to ‘him and his group’ of his drafting of the Simon commission Petition.
The 20 Government Servants that appended their Signature to the Naga Club Petition to the Simon Commission are:
1. Neihu, Head Interpreter, Angami. (Neihu Rame Kohima) 2. Rheichalie, Peshar, Angami. (Rheichalie Pienyü, Kohima) 3. Neisier, Master, Angami. (Niser Meru, Khonoma) 4. Khosa, Doctor, Angami. (Khosa Zinyü, Khonoma) 5. Gepo, Interpreter, Kacha Naga. (Irapeung ZeliangNakama) 6. Vipunyu, Potdar, Angami. (said to be Vipon Poda, Visema) 7. Goyapra, Treasurer, Angami. (Goyiepra Nakhro, Jotsoma) 8. Razhukrie, Master, Angami. (Rüzhükhrie Sekhose, Kohima) 9. Dikhrie, Sub-Overseer, Angami. (Dikhrie Sekhose, Kohima) 10. Zapuzhulie, Master, Angami. (Zapuzhülie Sekhose, Kohima) 11. Zepulie, Interpreter, Angami. (Zepulie Suokhrie, Kohima) 12. Khatsulo, Interpreter, Angami.( unknown Village) 13. Levi, Clerk, Kacha Naga. (Levi Liegise, originally Khonoma) 14. Nuolhoukielie, Clerk Angami. (Nuolhoukielie Pienyü Kohima) 15. Nizhuvi, Interpreter, Sema. (Izhevi, Shenakusami) 16. Apomo, Interpreter, Lotha. (Apamo of Phiro) 17. Resilo, Interpreter, Rengma. (Resilo, of Tsemenyu) 18. Lengjang, Interpreter, Kuki. (Lenjang, Tening) 19. Neikhriehu, Interpreter, Angami. (Neikhriehu Peseyie, Jotsoma) 20. Miakra-o, Chaprasi, Angami. (Miakra-o, Rüsoma)
(The Writer followed the names and the list from ‘REMINISCENCE’ by T. Aliba Imti, the First President of Naga National Council 1946-1948 for the reason that the spellings of the Angami Signatories are surprisingly correct –something of an unconscionable Mill Stone in the neck of every Ao, and hence taken as an authentic copy of the Original. Corrected name and Village in Italic under Bracket are by the Writer after extensive search under the whole sky from reliable sources)
III. THE NAGA CLUB BUILDING.
The first Naga Club Building was in Chotobosti after the World War I (1914-1918). The building was destroyed during the Japanese war and Lhounyü, the Head GB of Tsütuonuomia Thinuo, the original Land Owners got the site for construction of their Chapru for a Resting place for unknown visitors from the interior Areas with nobody to host them at Kohima and who had come for Salt or other merchandise, so that they could cook, eat and sleep at night while in Kohima.
Jasokie said the Naga Club building at Chotobosti was about 40ft by 20ft and double Storey and when he was very young his father Dr. Khosa use to hold his hand and take him there where his father spent the Evening reading paper and discussing things with his friends.
According Mr. Ziekro-o Theünuo, in those days Rheichalie Peshkar in the DC Office looked after the Club from the inception to 1942 as President, Secretary and Treasurer on contribution of 4 Annas for Clerks and 2 Annas per Month of the Members. Then in ’42, Mr. Krusiehu Belho was President and Ziekro-o Treasurer in DC Office was also Treasurer of the Naga Club. After WWII, it was shifted to Kohima Town Committee Building sometime in 1944.
Let me quote the Treasurer Ziekro-o: “The Naga Club building which houses the KTC office now used to be the Assam Rifles Canteen. During 1944 this building was purchased with Rs.10,000/- taken from fine fund for the Naga Club. At that time I was treasurer in the D.C’s Office Naga Hills Kohima. Mr. CR Pausey D.C and Mr. Levi Head Clerk took the money from me and in my presence handed over the amount to the Commanding Officer of the Assam Rifles”.
The NNC Body met there on 14th August 1947 and Jasokie, Jt Secretary Publicity went to the Post Office and sent Telegram to:
i. Governor of Assam; ii. Premier of Assam; iii. Mr. Nehru; iv. The President of Constituent Assembly.
The telegram said:
‘“Naga Hills cannot be considered part of the Indian Union until heads of proposed agreement between the Governor of Assam and the Naga National Council is accepted to the letter for execution, with No. 9 modified as ‘at the end of this period the Nagas will be free to decide their own future’”.
Then in 1946 the present Naga Club Building was constructed free of charge by one Punjabi Contractor Jodhu Singh who built the DC Office after the World War II at the request of Philip Adams in 1946. The materials were given by a British Officer at Dimapur out of the dismantled and disused materials of the War, his wife presented the Screens for the Windows and Lt Mr. Kevichüsa, brought them to Kohima for the Naga Club Building.
The Building was completed and used from 1946 to 1952 by NNC Leaders and Elders of the Town who used to read News Paper and spend their time discussing various things there, but remained underutilized. The Ao Woman Church at Kohima started from the Building.
For a short period of 6 years from 1946 to 31st March 1952, the day Jawaharlal Nehru, Independent India First Prime Minister’s disastrous visit to Kohima accompanied by Prime Minister Unu of Burma, the building was mostly used by the NNC.
The Naga en mass walked out of the Meeting. From that evening 31 March 1952, the Assam Rifles and the Police began to search and arrest the NNC Leader vanished underground.
There was no positive practical result of the July 29-31 of 1947 NNC discussion of the 9-Point Sir Akbar Hydari Agreement and the 14 August 1947 Telegram.
Phizo was arrested in Shillong in 1947 but released in 1948 on humanitarian Reason of his wife’s serious vehicle accident, the NNC on 16 May 1951 conducted the advisability of Naga Plebiscite on the advice of some Muslims Leaders who expected to influence Nagaland to join East Pakistan.
The Plebiscite was conducted from the Naga Club Building. In the remote interior Naga Hills, the Plebiscite continued for months.
After the Naga Walked-out en mass of Nehrus’ first public Meeting with the Naga in 1952; the same night, Armed Soldiers and Police began to search for the NNC Leaders who went ‘Underground’. Since then Naga Club Building became highly stigmatized with the name NNC and very hesitant to use it.
Then 11 years after, in 1963, erstwhile Naga Hills and Tuensang-Mon part of NEFA now Arunachal, were carved out into the 16th State of India as NAGALAND.
Then Naga Club Building was occupied for the New Office of the Director of Forests. Who gave the building on Rent was not a matter of any difficulty for the State Government of the time particularly when the Government of the Naga National Council was hiding in unknown places of the Jungle.
The Forest Department of Nagaland used the Building from 1963 onwards to 16th April 1983. With the expansion the Department, it slowly cannibalized all available surrounding spaces around unethically “in Public Interest” and expanded their building themselves.
During 1983 the Government decided to take over the Building for the establishment of the Education Directorate and pushed the Junglee Department towards the Puliebadze jungle where Agriculture Department have some of their Offices.
As soon as the Department vacated the Buildings, the DC Kohima was to occupy the Building for the Education Department. This information was secreted into the ear of Peselie Suokhrie, an NNC veteran Released from Jail and Azhüto, another National Worker who got two Taxi loads of local Youths and an oversized Lock to lock up the entrance to the Building before the Police arrived.
Old grey haired Peselie and equally grey haired Azhüto did as was the news transported to them earlier. When the DC’s Police came, they found the Youths and an unconscionably disproportionate Lock barring entrance to the Building and left the site.
The Naga Club finally returned to its long Dead Owners.
Then in 1983 Nagaland Football Association under the Chairmanship of Mr. Mezhur whose son is the President today and Secretary Mr. Neilakuolie Belho, claimed ownership of the Naga Club but a rather big gathering of Naga Elders under the Chairmanship of Peselie Suokhrie met at Kohima Panchayat Building on 24 August 1983 and in no uncertain terms dismissed the claim of the Association.
In April 1989, one of the greatest events in Nagaland happened with the demise of NNC President Mr. Zapuphizo in London. The NNC Secretary Tobu Periatsü Kevichüsa initiated an unprecedented Public Meeting at the Naga Club building.
The Public formed a Funeral Organizing Body FOC and arranged in bringing the dead Body to Kohima in a chartered Airplane and buried the Late President in the hillock near Nagaland Secretariat, Kohima.
Since 1952 the Naga Club Building was used often by the Army for camping the soldiers until a semblance of normalcy arrived to Nagaland becoming the 16th State of India on 31 December 1963.
In the year 1982 Mr. Peselie Suokhrie convened a meeting of some concerned Naga Elders at Kohima Village Panchayat to revive the Naga Club and elected:
President, Azüto. Secretary, Vilavor, and some others as Office Bearers to Re-establish Naga Club.
They called themselves Naga Club and carried its name.
Thanks very much to them for their concern and carrying the Office burdens to date but perhaps it is most appropriate the Descendants of the Simon Commission Signatories are involved in the revival of the Club of their Parents.
The Naga Club does not and did not belong to ANY Tribe or Religion in particularly; it belongs to all Native Communities in Nagaland.
Yet Naga Club Members originally consisted only of GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.
It would therefore be pertinent for the living descendants of the Original Signatories of the Naga Club to be involved in the Revival of the Club today and not others however concerned some may be.
If not, it would be like Grafting a Lemon tree on a live Teak Stump and calling it a Teak Tree!
