Ever since the Indo-Naga conflict erupted in the early 1950s thousands and thousands of Nagas have perished. Many of these perished at the hands of the enemy – the Indian army, while many perished in the far-flung jungles of Burma and China and some even in the nearer but hitherto unknown and unexplored jungles of the dark Naga hills. And the most painful and unfortunate ones are about the ones who perished due to the betrayal and deceit by some of our own Naga traitors, informers and whistleblowers. It is heartbreaking to know that many of these perished Nagas still remain buried and totally forgotten in these far-flung and dark jungles of South East Asia. And it seems like their names have also totally perished along with their mortal remains as nobody mentions even their names now.
This is the story of one such man who perished during the Indo-Naga conflict of the 1950s due to the betrayal and deceit by some of his own people from his own village.
Kevidelhoulie (Deo) Suokhrie was the third son and the fifth child of Thepfulhouvi Suokhrie of L. Khel, Kohima Village. In the 1950’s, Kevidelhoulie was a young man in his prime age. And as the Indo-Naga conflict began, Kevidelhoulie became greatly influenced by the spirit of Naga nationalism and patriotism. He became deeply convinced and inspired about the nobility of the Naga national movement sweeping across the Naga hills during those years. As such, he decided to devote his life to this noble cause of the Nagas and joined the Naga movement for total independence and sovereignty.
He formally joined the Naga national movement in the year 1955. And because of his steadfast commitment and determination to sacrifice even his own life for this Naga cause, he was inducted as Second Lieutenant in the struggle and fight against the aggressor – the Indian army.
During those years the Indian army was present in large numbers throughout the length and breadth of the Naga hills and Kohima and Kohima village were no exception to this. And even informers and whistleblowers (even Naga informers) were present in plenty. And therefore, to be safe from the raids and surveillance of the Indian army and informers, Kevidelhoulie (Deo) started encamping himself in the paddy-fields of Dzüzie (North Kohima), about 5 kms away from Kohima town. In this way, he would hide and stay in the paddy fields for days without coming to the village or town. During these turbulent and difficult times, it was his elder sister Duoneilhouü who would often go to the paddy fields to meet him. Whenever she went to meet her brother in the paddy fields, Duoneilhoü would always carry cooked meals to her beloved brother.
However, these affairs did not remain undiscovered from the prying eyes of the informers. And one day in March 1956, some renegades hailing from Kohima Village itself led the Indian soldiers to this hideout in the Dzüzie paddy fields and killed Kevidelhoulie and beheaded him. Thereafter, his sister Duoneilhoü was made to carry the beheaded head of her beloved brother in her bamboo carrier (khorü in tenyiedie) and made to walk all the way from the Dzüzie paddy-fields to the Kohima north police station covering more than 5 kms. Upon reaching the Kohima north police station, the man who led the soldiers to the paddy fields took out Kevidelhoulie’s head from the bamboo carrier (khorü) and asked Duoneilhouü “Hau n prü-u mo moga?” meaning “Isn’t this your brother or not?”. Upon witnessing the beheaded head of her beloved brother, Duoneilhouü’s whole world came to a standstill then and there because all the way from the paddy fields she was not even aware that she was being made to carry the beheaded head of her beloved brother in her bamboo carrier (khorü).
Now, one may ask why I write this article about Kevidelhoulie (Deo) or how I came to know about this unsung, untold and unreported murder of this unknown man. I write this and I have known this painful and unfortunate story since my childhood because Kevidelhoulie happens to be none other than the younger brother of my maternal grandfather Ruokuoneilie Suokhrie. As a young boy growing up in Kohima village in the 1980’s, this was probably the most frightful, painful and unfortunate story which I happened to hear for the first time from my beloved mother. It was this story which instilled fear into me. It was this story that made me to tremble at the sight of policemen and army-men in uniform and whenever I saw these men in uniform, I would always crave to be out of their sight at the earliest lest they come and behead me as well. Even today, the murder of Kevidelhoulie Suokhrie makes me realize that in the 1950s the lives of the Nagas had really become very cheap and vulnerable. During these troubled times, any man could be arrested and beaten up, tortured and even put to death on mere suspicion and at the slightest provocation. Any woman could be kidnapped and molested and even raped. And none of the army personals who committed these crimes were ever booked or brought to trial by any authority. They committed all these murders, rapes and burnings of our villages with the full sanction and backing of the Nehru government.
Kevidelhoulie (Deo) Suokhrie was unmarried and only around 30 years old at the time of his death. And as mentioned above, he was the son of Thepfulhouvi Suokhrie of L. Khel, Kohima Village. And here, I would like to mention that this Thepfulhouvi Suokhrie had six children – four sons and two daughters. They were:
1) Mr. Khetsolie Suokhrie.
2) Miss. Zeiü Suokhrie.
3) Miss. Duoneilhouü Suokhrie.
4) Mr. Ruokuoneilie Suokhrie (My maternal grandfather).
5) Mr. Kevidelhoulie Suokhrie and
6) Mr. Saliethie Suokhrie.
Out of these six children, Kevidelhoulie (Deo) was the only one who stepped forward to devote his life for the noble Naga cause. And today he lies buried alone and totally forgotten in the paddy fields of Dzüzie (North Kohima). His grave neither bears his name nor any marking or epitaph. Only some shapeless stones are placed at the site to mark the spot where he lies. It may also be mentioned that in 1956 his body was buried without his head as his head was never returned to his family by the people who beheaded him. I do not know why his headless body was not brought to the village for burial.
As for Atsa Duoneilhouü who never married, she died peacefully on 29th May 2010 at the private residence of my uncle Kesohelie Suokhrie here in L. Khel, Kohima Village.
This is the story of one such man who perished during the Indo-Naga conflict of the 1950s due to the betrayal and deceit by some of his own people from his own village.
Kevidelhoulie (Deo) Suokhrie was the third son and the fifth child of Thepfulhouvi Suokhrie of L. Khel, Kohima Village. In the 1950’s, Kevidelhoulie was a young man in his prime age. And as the Indo-Naga conflict began, Kevidelhoulie became greatly influenced by the spirit of Naga nationalism and patriotism. He became deeply convinced and inspired about the nobility of the Naga national movement sweeping across the Naga hills during those years. As such, he decided to devote his life to this noble cause of the Nagas and joined the Naga movement for total independence and sovereignty.
He formally joined the Naga national movement in the year 1955. And because of his steadfast commitment and determination to sacrifice even his own life for this Naga cause, he was inducted as Second Lieutenant in the struggle and fight against the aggressor – the Indian army.
During those years the Indian army was present in large numbers throughout the length and breadth of the Naga hills and Kohima and Kohima village were no exception to this. And even informers and whistleblowers (even Naga informers) were present in plenty. And therefore, to be safe from the raids and surveillance of the Indian army and informers, Kevidelhoulie (Deo) started encamping himself in the paddy-fields of Dzüzie (North Kohima), about 5 kms away from Kohima town. In this way, he would hide and stay in the paddy fields for days without coming to the village or town. During these turbulent and difficult times, it was his elder sister Duoneilhouü who would often go to the paddy fields to meet him. Whenever she went to meet her brother in the paddy fields, Duoneilhoü would always carry cooked meals to her beloved brother.
However, these affairs did not remain undiscovered from the prying eyes of the informers. And one day in March 1956, some renegades hailing from Kohima Village itself led the Indian soldiers to this hideout in the Dzüzie paddy fields and killed Kevidelhoulie and beheaded him. Thereafter, his sister Duoneilhoü was made to carry the beheaded head of her beloved brother in her bamboo carrier (khorü in tenyiedie) and made to walk all the way from the Dzüzie paddy-fields to the Kohima north police station covering more than 5 kms. Upon reaching the Kohima north police station, the man who led the soldiers to the paddy fields took out Kevidelhoulie’s head from the bamboo carrier (khorü) and asked Duoneilhouü “Hau n prü-u mo moga?” meaning “Isn’t this your brother or not?”. Upon witnessing the beheaded head of her beloved brother, Duoneilhouü’s whole world came to a standstill then and there because all the way from the paddy fields she was not even aware that she was being made to carry the beheaded head of her beloved brother in her bamboo carrier (khorü).
Now, one may ask why I write this article about Kevidelhoulie (Deo) or how I came to know about this unsung, untold and unreported murder of this unknown man. I write this and I have known this painful and unfortunate story since my childhood because Kevidelhoulie happens to be none other than the younger brother of my maternal grandfather Ruokuoneilie Suokhrie. As a young boy growing up in Kohima village in the 1980’s, this was probably the most frightful, painful and unfortunate story which I happened to hear for the first time from my beloved mother. It was this story which instilled fear into me. It was this story that made me to tremble at the sight of policemen and army-men in uniform and whenever I saw these men in uniform, I would always crave to be out of their sight at the earliest lest they come and behead me as well. Even today, the murder of Kevidelhoulie Suokhrie makes me realize that in the 1950s the lives of the Nagas had really become very cheap and vulnerable. During these troubled times, any man could be arrested and beaten up, tortured and even put to death on mere suspicion and at the slightest provocation. Any woman could be kidnapped and molested and even raped. And none of the army personals who committed these crimes were ever booked or brought to trial by any authority. They committed all these murders, rapes and burnings of our villages with the full sanction and backing of the Nehru government.
Kevidelhoulie (Deo) Suokhrie was unmarried and only around 30 years old at the time of his death. And as mentioned above, he was the son of Thepfulhouvi Suokhrie of L. Khel, Kohima Village. And here, I would like to mention that this Thepfulhouvi Suokhrie had six children – four sons and two daughters. They were:
1) Mr. Khetsolie Suokhrie.
2) Miss. Zeiü Suokhrie.
3) Miss. Duoneilhouü Suokhrie.
4) Mr. Ruokuoneilie Suokhrie (My maternal grandfather).
5) Mr. Kevidelhoulie Suokhrie and
6) Mr. Saliethie Suokhrie.
Out of these six children, Kevidelhoulie (Deo) was the only one who stepped forward to devote his life for the noble Naga cause. And today he lies buried alone and totally forgotten in the paddy fields of Dzüzie (North Kohima). His grave neither bears his name nor any marking or epitaph. Only some shapeless stones are placed at the site to mark the spot where he lies. It may also be mentioned that in 1956 his body was buried without his head as his head was never returned to his family by the people who beheaded him. I do not know why his headless body was not brought to the village for burial.
As for Atsa Duoneilhouü who never married, she died peacefully on 29th May 2010 at the private residence of my uncle Kesohelie Suokhrie here in L. Khel, Kohima Village.
