Essays of Pochury Festival

STORY BEHIND SEPTEMBER 6 saturnine DAY On solemn 14, 1960, the Naga forces antiaircraft guned Assam Rifle out- office staff at Thuda (Phor colony) in Pochury scope. The attack was on a lower floortaken by the Eastern operates 1st Brigade under the command of Major General Zuheto, a extensive with the past 4th battalion of Pochury country under the command of Lt. Col superstarl Thorpa. The monsoon was at its summit during the time and each major rivers akin Tizu, L whatevere and Thethsii were in full spate. The attack was launched by and by destroying all(a) the six bridges on all the rivers. This was done to stop backup from reaching the be beleagueringd legions post.As the attack continued into the thirteenth day, ammunitions on two sides were running short and on some(prenominal) occasions the Indian p atomic number 18ntage compress plane tried to drop musical accompaniment material and ammunitions but were pr eveted by the Naga ground forces. At the same tim e the Indian Air Force jet fighters strafed the attackers po baitions. An Indian transport plane (Dakota) attempt to drop relief materials and ammunitions to the besieged post was shot trim back by the Naga Army on the 14th day of the siege and crash landed at Zathsii, a paddy field of Meluri village. The Naga Army captured all the 9 (nine) airmen including Flt.Lt. A. S. Singh. This led to a laboured army operation in Pochury area by the Indian Army, who was on a mission to search and rescue the captured airmen, none of whom were ever tortured but were by and by set free through the red-faced Cross. In the process of the army operations to rescue the airmen many a(prenominal) a(prenominal) villages were burnt megabucks and untold atrocities and tortures were inflicted upon the villagers. On folk 1, 1960, 6 (six) villagers from Phor village were tortured to wipeout. Their names are Lt. Turachu, closure Chief, Lt. Yutsuchu, Pastor, Lt. Chupuchu DB, Lt. Yituchu GB, Lt. Turuc hu GB, Lt. Mughazu GB.Again on September 3, 1960 some other 3 ( threesome) villagers from Yisi village were vanquish to death to wit Lt. Mazu GB, Lt. Throchu, Lt. Mazu RP. Two villagers Lt. Yichuhu and Lt. Nyupuchu. from Mokie village were to a fault beaten to death. In Laruri village, Lt. Lingsang was buried existent afterward severe beating. Lt. Nyukhrusuh and Lt. Rhorupa of Meluri village were beaten severely and after which, their conducts were chopped-off. Two villages, namely Tsikuzo and Kuluopfu, were abandoned due to tortures and humiliations meted out by the Indian army. On 6th September 1960, the Punjab Regiment posted at Kangjang village reached Matikhrii village around 10 am.The replete(p) village was encircled in three rings and all the villagers were ordered to pile up in one place. Men folk were illogical from women and children. whole the men were make to keep jumping and do sit-ups, for much than 5 hours in the scorching sun, naked. some(prenominal) sign s of tiredness were met with kicks and hits with rifle butts. then just before sunset, Indian army non satisfied with the punishment meted out to the villagers, move them up inside the Village read/write heads house and were forced to sit heads deal like a have being lead to its slaughter. Lt.Thah, the then Village important, know what was in store for them bravely volunteered to dedicate. He stood bravely for the Naga cause even to his last breath and said Its a mans pride. No surrender, no compromise for our birth right. This sacrifice is to protect our freedom. I shall gladly arrange down my life for the Naga future generation. Then an Indian army jawan, holding a blunt dao(hatchet) chopped off the head of Lt. Pogholo who was first in the line. Witnessing the brutality and crime in front of their eyes and knowing that all of them were going to be killed, one of the villagers managed to escape the execution forcefully.Then one after another heads rolled down separate d from the bodies, and in the event a full(a) of nine lives were lost. Their names are Lt. Thah, Lt. Pogholo, Lt. Mezitso, Lt. Pongoi, Lt. Eyetshu, Lt. Zasituo, Lt. Thitu, Lt. Kekhwezu, Lt. Kezukhwelo. The Indian army did not even set aside the loved ones to perform last rites and rituals for the unfounded. All the defunct bodies were dumped inside the village chiefs house and were burnt down to ashes a persistent with the other houses and granaries.The women and children who had fled to the hobo dwell to avoid the horror and torture of Indian Army came back the next morning to meet the whole village burnt down to ashes. Lt. Thitu who narrowly escaped from the execution was prime by his wife Mrs. Rhiitariih with three cuts on the neck, stomach slashed and intestines thrown out. He quoted Love, tell my beloved children the sacrifice I have borne for them and I am wait to die in your lap with a cup of water and after drinking, he breathed his last. Another victim Lt. Zasituo, traveling Pastor, was also found almost dead with multiple injuries on his chest and neck.Not long after, he died. Then the horrified women and children with no means simply covered the dead bodies with mud and left for the jungles fearing the Indian army might turn up any time. For days together, the survivors wandered in the deep jungle without proper food and shelter. The wild berries and fruits of the jungle were their moreover food and means of survival. The only comfort and encouragement they could give to each other was the knowledge of glorious sacrifices make by their men folk. The wild animals and birds of the jungle were their only companions, besides themselves.In extreme conditions of hardships and difficulty, many more precious lives were lost. The Naga Army then came to their rescue. They were given food, shelter and protection. Even today, the nightmares and catastrophe of the incident still remain recent in the mind of the survivors. In this long dispersion a nd exodus, the survivors entered Burma and stayed with the Naga Army in their camp at Sathi where Gavin Young of London observer met them in the later part of 1961. In his book Indo-Naga War, page 29-30, he wrote that when he met the survivors, there were only a pathetic thirty people.They spent their lives in the wilderness for two and half years. In 1963, village re-establishment took place but prevalent life could not be restored for many years. The people of Pochury have ever since observed 6th September as BLACK DAY in memory of all those who had suffered and laid down their lives for the greater jubilate and freedom of the Nagas. It is a day of grief and a day to acknowledgement of the sacrifices do by the martyrs. Khuosatho Nyusou, President, P1ochury Hoho Kohima (PHK). (Courtesy Pochury Students Union. )