Lhilo Kronu (FG)
Peren Division
Naga National Council (NNC) was formed on 2nd February 1946. On 14thAugust, 1947 just before a day India got independence; NNC declared independence as of the uniqueness of history. A few years later, on 16th May 1951, Naga people Plebiscite with 99.9% vote for free Nagaland. On that movement of Nagas, the Government of India did not allow Nagas to be sovereign state and dispatched or deployed huge number of troops to Naga land. Therefore, the Naga people started recruiting army for defence of our sovereignty and freedom. In this case, all the Naga inhabited areas and villages accumulated the active youths and collected volunteer.
After vote for free Nagaland, the gorillas had started persecuting Naga people till the 1975 Shillong Accord was made. During this period, numerous Naga troops and civilians had been killed. The Naga inhabited areas or villages were all razed by fire. Many Naga women were raped, humiliated and tortured by Indian gorillas. Many women lost her husband, become widow; many children lost his/her father and became orphan. Many Naga innocent youths were killed and tortured. But Naga people never receded from the position and patiently stood to his/her last breathe. Many Naga innocent souls have been laid and sacrificed for our future. We neither had met nor seen the pain they went through.
My uncle late Kezütshülo Kronu (Kechi) son of late Kewelhi lived in Kami village, Pfutsero under Phek district: Nagaland. He was the elder brother of my father. (My father Niechu Kronu had told me this story). He left his study in the ninth standard at Mao gate and came home by foot along with army uniform. The family members were not allowing him to join as they all wanted him to continue his study but he denied. He was hankering to join Naga army because he had planned a trip to China. The family members could not stop him. Finally, they let him join the Naga army. At that time, without joining Naga army no one could reach China; therefore, he joined Naga army in the early part of 1960s. In 1968, he was selected for alee command or trip to China under the commandership of late Dusoyi and late Jonathan, with the rank of sergeant major. (Some of his friends said to my father that he was promoted on the way but they did not remember the exact promoted rank).
On the way to China, among the commanders there were some controversies about the map. They miscalculated their compass and lost their way. Later, they encountered ambush by gorillas. They gave their best to fight back the gorillas but they could not stand before gorillas due to certain reasons. They waged all their bullets or ammunitions they had. The main objective of their trip to China was to bring guns and ammunitions for combating the gorillas, so among ten members only one person took gun. Among the soldiers, the most active or best physical fit could use gun; he was also selected of this group. However, they had not arranged enough ammunition, therefore, there was no other choice and they fall in the enemy’s hand. But my uncle late Kezütshülo Kronu refused to surrender to gorilla. He threw away his gun and run away with his machete. (They said this was the last time he was seem and these are the words of his friends, who returned from Tihar jail) dead or alive!
I will call him “my hero or bravest” among the Nagas soldier, because he has not surrendered till today. I will call “freedom fighter or heroes” who were sacrificing their lives for the Naga cause from the enemy’s hand.
I will not call the present insurgents group of Nagaland as freedom fighter because they fratricide many own brothers and sisters and fight only for powers and moneys.
