A tribute to Gen. Kaito Sukhai 1933-1968

Amid the countless of heroes, in the legends of Naga freedom struggle was a young leader, who stood on the shoulders of the giants and seen further than we have seen, who walked 1000 miles further than we have meandered; who in the recent past gave up the lot of himself and stood for the better of tomorrow. I never met him in self, as I was born decades after his death, but back in the yore of my school days and till today, his feats and deeds were a feast to my ears, so In pursuit of his past; I met most of his peers and dears and knew the best of him. There’s no wreath or dirge to accompany him today; however, this is how I will remember him!

The phrase, both heroic and genius was bandied along well with instant bring up of his name, albeit, it fits snugly into his rather short physical stature and dapperly striking young visage, his bodily stature was but, not an impediment towards his ventures. He would forever and a day strives for excel, People of his peers were subdued by his wits and dexterity. His body and mind reflexes were equally imposing; to accomplish his mission he could lack a slumber for a week. Vigorous and nimble at his most he was quite frigid toward idleness and inactivity. Had frequent splits of temper, although, it always turned out to be a sane resentment. Regardless of his apathy and bleakness toward his humdrum and inactive compatriots at the end of the day his kindness and caring was always genuine.

Adventurous, committed and curiousness was him. He was the rising tide that lifts the hopes, a façade of optimism for the suppressed, a panacea that cures the phobia and a hindrance behind enemy failures and weaknesses. The persona dreaded and admired by the enemies, envied by the slanderers and revered by the followers. He was what Che is to Cuban and Giap was to Vietnamese. He was young as the Joan of Arc whilst, he pledged, to defend his land and liberate his people from the foreign dominion. He is the world’s youngest general, He is General Kaito Sukhai, he is a Naga legendary.

Born on the onset of summer 22nd May, 1933, at Ghukhuyi village, then under Kohima “Elakha” (District) during British regime and present times Zunheboto District, Nagaland; he was the second son of Kuhoto Zhimomi Head Dobashi M.B.E Kohima Division. (1923-1948) and mother Kiholi Yepthomi. Kuhoto had 5 sons and 3 daughters. Kuhoto’s first son and Kaito eldest brother Kughato Sukhai was the Ato Kilonser (Prime Minister) Federal Government of Nagaland (1959-1968) who also led the Nagas into six rounds of talk with Indian Prime Minister Indra Gandhi to deliberate on Naga issue, which ended in a dead heat. Kaito was born into an affluent Sumi Naga family of Zhimomi clan; some of his distinctive traits can be traced back to the semblance with his Great Grandfather Sukhai Zhimomi and his Grand uncle Kuhoi Sema Naga both an outstanding warriors during their era.

Precisely from his mother’s womb Kaito had an unusual demeanor unlike any other still born child and his mother had a premonition that something was going to be different about this child, hence Kuhoto called upon a seer named Alemtemjen Ao from Longsa village, who eventually foretold the parents that “a son would born to them, wherein myriads of people would follow him”. Without doubt the unseeming characteristics of an average child, just his contemporaries began to illustrate. Right from his crawling phase he showed his obstinacy and stubbornness outlook.

He had an innate inclination for military life; his childhood was skewed fully towards military characteristics and leadership making. one thing was always coherent to him that, he was in no way alone, he would always keep a band of boys his age group between 10 to 12 years at his disposal, which he called them his children army. People would have assumed, what he was doing was just a self indulgent immature game, but maybe he really knew what he was doing and none could have guessed? That perhaps, the future General was disciplining his compatriots for the very essence of our national sanguinity.

During the 2nd world war the Allied forces had set up a camp at his village, therefore, at every given occasion he would hang around with Allied soldiers so that he could emulate and edify himself more of their activities to his already found passion. One fine day the commander of the camp asked him to fetch some water and Kaito in turn ordered his boys to fetch water while he hung about with the commander, the boys without any hesitation brought the water pot and stood obediently akin to an army formation order, after awhile the little boss ordered his boys to parade out of the camp.

In another incident, the same commander to check the competences of the kids offered Kaito and his boys to test fire a rifle inside the trench; everyone except Kaito was bold enough to accept the offer, the Allied forces who were watching the scene were stunned by the way he picked up the rifle with sharp reflexes and without uncertainty was about to fire, but then the commander prevented him from firing. The Allied forces remarked that the boy would one day grow up to be an excellent soldier. Which he proved them right in the near future by becoming the world’s Youngest General. The British leading tabloid BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) accredited him as the World’s youngest General.

In 1953 he went to Shillong for further studies, but his real intent was beyond studying. The child prodigy had already primed a blueprint inside his mind ahead of his decision to study at Shillong. After his influx at Shillong, under the pretext of studying he was tirelessly organizing a network and sweeping Naga nationalistic ideology into the minds of Naga students Shillong, as well as Naga recruits Assam regiment to associate themselves into the realm of Naga Nationalism. However, his undercover activities came into limelight and his stay at Shillong was cut short as the Indian Intelligence personnel, were after him; but at the end of the day it was a fruitful stay.

He gained a huge momentum among the erudite during his short stay. He was able to persuade an adequate number of Naga students to join the Indian Army so that they could come back to Nagaland and train the Naga youths to defend our homeland. The behaviors of his early days were ominous of the days to come, when he would bear out to be one of an ablest General of his time. Gen. Kaito, yearning for an independent Naga is analogous to an inflated balloon fixated for the skies; despite of looming adversaries and irresistible odds, he would never cringe down an inch. a proven fact, that consistently for almost a decade he led the diminutive but no less spirited Naga Army to resist and fight against the powerful military capacity in the form of Indian Arm Forces.

Some of the important achievements and highlights of his life:

1) 1951, he started his active involvement into Naga struggle for independence.

2) 16th May, 1951, at the age of 18 Gen. Kaito Sukhai supervised The Naga Plebiscite throughout the Sumi regions.

3) 1955, he formed Naga avant-garde army called Naga Safe Guards which was set up in the Eastern Sumi area under NEFA.

4) 1955, 23rd March, from the land of Free Naga’s erstwhile NEFA, he declared an arm revolt against Indian army.

5) 1955, 2nd June, at the age of 22 he became the first General of Naga Safe Guards.

6) 1955, 3rd to 10th  September, in the historic First Indo-Naga battle at Hoshepu, Gen. Kaito  Sukhai with a mere cluster of 16 Naga Safe Guards army fought against a mammoth Division of 17th Indian Rajputs coalesced with Indian Assam Rifles Regiments. It was recorded that in the aftermath of the battle 5 Naga armies were martyred, while 380 Indian forces lost their lives.

7) 1956, 2nd March, the Naga National Council declared the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) and consequently FGN consolidated Naga Home Guards and Naga Safe Guards to form the Naga Army and thus, Gen. Kaito Sukhai was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief Naga Army on 22nd March 1956, he held the office till January 1963.

8) 1956, 24th March, a significant second battle of Satakha was fought against the Assam Armed Police posted at Satakha Village, I.B Bungalow, whereby all the 78 belligerent Assam Armed Police were captured with a huge cache of weapons.

9) 1962, 21st March, Gen. Kaito Sukhai led 168 highly principled Naga soldiers to the first Alee command (Foreign Legion) to East Pakistan for procuring arms and training.

10) 1962, 10th September, he departed Karachi and left for London to meet NNC President A.Z. Phizo to discuss the future course of action for the Naga movement. He was invited by BBC to address about Naga struggle for independence at the Round table Conference.

11) 1962, the Association of Allied British Veterans, under the organization of Burma Star Association London feted him with the coveted title “Burma Star”

12) 1968, 17th June, he formed an Army Government with Gen. Mowu Gwizan.

13) 1968 3rd August, a fanatic assassin who could not discern the magnitude of impact Kaito would have bought upon the fate of the Naga’s, had he been alive! Shot him ruthlessly on that fateful evening.

14) 1968, 4th August, 11:30 AM, at the prime age of 35 years and 74 days Gen. Kaito Sukhai breathed his last. Alas! Came to an end of an era to one of the greatest son of Naga soil.

The costliest material in the world is not worthy to obtain the immense price that had been paid in the form of valuable lives, blood, sweat and tears. Myriad of the past Naga freedom fighters had indisputably proven their affection and sacrifices in a fathomless measure for the cause of Naga homeland. The trails and suffering pursued along the process is unrivaled. The spine chilling saga while procuring weapons and training up to fight against the overwhelming odds is consummate.

Today, how trivially we tend to overlook the sacrifices and glory of our past, which meanwhile, is gradually eroding away. The accounts of their unmatched afflictions, life forfeits and display of flawless courage must be put into picture to enlighten the generations of today; hence they shall emulate and continue to carry the baton of key purposes envisaged by them. On this day, let us all reminisce every Naga patriots who had sacrificed their lives selflessly for the foundation of our beloved Nagalim.