Senapati, August 27: Commemorating the day when the Nagas in Manipur refused to pay the Annual Hill House Tax to the Government of Manipur under the aegis of the Naga National League in 1948, the Mao Council, under the aegis of the United Naga Council, observed the 78th Naga Martyrs’ Day. The day marked the assassination of three persons, while many more male and female volunteers, along with students, sustained injuries from bullets, rifle butts, lathis, and boots of the Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police.
In his keynote address, N. Athikho Joseph, President of the Mao Council, stated that 78 years ago, on this very day, 27th August 1948, supreme sacrifices were made by some of the Mao people, along with leaders from other Naga communities. The Mao Council President said that the Nagas of Manipur were an independent people before the arrival of the British, not governed by any authority at that time. Even after the British arrived, they were administered by the Political Department of the British Crown.
In February 1946, the Naga National League was organized to consolidate the Nagas of Manipur and bring together the Naga people separated by colonial boundaries. The Manipur Raja and his Durbar administered only the valley area until 15th August 1947. After 15th August 1947, the Naga National League declared that the Nagas would not remain with the Meiteis, since the Nagas were self-governing in their own right and the latter had never conquered the Nagas. It further stated that it would be impossible for the Naga people to preserve their culture, traditions, customary laws, and political practices if they and their land were divided and placed under different powers and politics. The Naga National League also expressed their strong desire to merge with the Naga Hills District of Assam.
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They expressed this desire by boycotting the preparation of electoral rolls in the Naga areas and the election to the first Legislative Assembly of Manipur in 1948. Thereafter, they launched the “No Tax Campaign” when Maharaj Kumar Priyo Bratra Singh was the Chief Minister of Manipur. The campaign was spearheaded by A. Daiho Mao as President, N. Modoli Poumai as General Secretary, Reishang Keishing Tangkhul, Mathuhom Zeliangrong, Kaikhangai Zeliangrong, Ng. Mono Monsang, and others. The Nagas in Manipur refused to pay the Annual Hill House Tax to the Government of Manipur and, under the aegis of the Naga National League, submitted the annual hill house tax of the Naga areas of Manipur to Charles Pawsey, the Deputy Commissioner of the Naga Hills of Assam, at Kohima. As a result, A. Daiho, President, and N. Modoli, General Secretary of the Naga National League, along with other leaders, were arrested by the combined forces of the Manipur Police and the Assam Rifles.
When news of the arrest of their leaders reached the masses, they responded with a democratic protest on the streets. However, their protest demonstration was met with indiscriminate firing by the Assam Rifles, leaving three persons dead on the spot at Mao Gate on 27th August 1948. On that tragic day, many more male and female volunteers, along with students, sustained injuries from bullets, rifle butts, lathis, and boots of the Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police. The President and General Secretary of the Naga National League were then imprisoned at Dum Dum Central Jail, Calcutta. To commemorate this event, 27th August 1948 is still observed as Martyrs’ Day to this day, he recounted.
The Mao Council President stated that they have built a legacy that will endure through time. Their sacrifices, their labour, and their unshakable commitment to Naga unity and self-determination will forever remain a source of inspiration for all the Nagas in Manipur. In the face of globalization, the President urged the people not to lose themselves and not to forget who they are. He urged them to strive to understand one another. Differences may exist among the people, but those differences should not bring division, he said. Instead, tolerance and dialogue should lead the people towards understanding, love, peace, and conciliation. To safeguard one’s identity and to uphold values of honesty, integrity, diligence, and truthfulness, the President urged the strengthening of culture, traditions, and customary laws, which are the strength, inheritance, and sacred duty of every people.
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Vice President of the United Naga Council, N. Gonmei Poujan, in his solidarity message, stated that the gathering was not merely to remember, but to reaffirm—urging all to stand together on this sacred day, Naga Martyrs’ Day, not only to honour the lives of those who laid down everything for the people, but to renew the collective commitment to the ideals they died defending. Seventy-eight years have passed since the brave souls—Asosii Hepuni, Mahriili Lohrii, Mado Kholi, Daikho Hesho, Obow Adani, Kaisii Mathibo, and Obow Ashiho—stood firm against injustice and gave their lives so that the Naga people might live with dignity, autonomy, and hope. Their sacrifice was not an end—it was a beginning. A beginning of a movement rooted in courage, conviction, and the unyielding desire for self-determination. The martyrs gave up their today for the tomorrow of the next generation, the UNC Vice President said.
“Their resistance against unjust taxation was more than a protest; it was a declaration—a declaration that the Naga spirit cannot be subdued, that traditions and governance are not relics of the past but living truths of identity. Their martyrdom lit a fire that continues to burn in the hearts of every Naga who dreams of a future shaped by justice, peace, and unity,” he stated. By laying wreaths and bowing heads in reverence, the Vice President urged the people to lift their voices in solidarity, reminding themselves and the world that the Naga struggle is upheld, and that their aspirations remain ever alive. People continue to hope for a just and honourable resolution to the Indo-Naga political issue—one that reflects the spirit of the Framework Agreement and the sacrifices of the martyrs.
To the Government of India, the UNC Vice President stated that the time for symbolic gestures has passed. What is needed now is political will, moral clarity, and a genuine commitment to peace. “Let the legacy of our martyrs guide the path forward—not with delay, but with decisive action.” To fellow Nagas, Gonmei urged walking forward together, teaching the children not just the names of the heroes, but the values they stood for. He urged building bridges across communities, strengthening unity, and carrying forward the dream of a free and dignified future. He prayed that present solidarity echoes through generations to come. “May the flame of our unity keep burning till our Naga national goal is ultimately achieved, under the guidance and blessing of the living Lord God of the Naga Nation,” he said.
Wreaths were laid by Naga leaders at Island Park, Mao Gate, before the official program at Mao Town Hall, Mao Gate. A moment of silent prayer in remembrance of the martyrs, who gave their all, was observed at the beginning of the program.
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Leaders from the United Naga Council, Naga Women’s Union, All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur, Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights, Naga People’s Organization, Senapati District Students’ Association, Senapati District Women’s Association, Mao Council, Mao National Workers, Mao Students’ Union, Mao Naga Women’s Welfare Association, CAO Shepoumaramth Region, Kalinamei Village Authority, Punanamei Village Authority, and families of the martyrs attended the program.