Retelling WW-II history with Thokchom Satyapriya Singh
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Omila Thounaojam

Imphal, July 25 2014 : "Palen, adagi Kakching mathang mathang taraga yarikhei moina changba yaba adomda dum changnabagi lakpasida, ehan hanba eikhoina ubasi keinonehe gari chaora chaoraba mamang sangoimuk chaoba gari mayam ma lakeesibo na haiba", says Thokchom Satyapriya Singh from Maorangkhom Makha Loklaobung (once upon a time known as the Burma Road) .

There is never an end to the process of recording history.

The more you look for incidents, all the more you'll face the truth that the story lives on as long as the story teller lives in our midst.

Today, let me bring to you, another main highlight of an interesting conversation I have had with pabung Satyapriya.

The talk lasted for more than two hours and there was no stopping to this dynamic act of listening to all the positive accounts narrated to me by the interviewee regarding the wartime situation.

May be today, this publication will throw some spontaneous light upon the word "War" and facilitate us with an enhanced way of looking at it from a newer dimension.

May be the narratives that will unfold in due course will allow one and all to witness that "Yes" – the horrific historical context somehow also has benefitted us in some ways to last for long with us as well.

Against the backdrop of a simple societal structure that identified the small Manipur state in the beginning phases of the WWII – with small traditional houses, a very less know-how about the shapes and sizes of technology, the lack of knowledge regarding the relevance of machine in our society, etc.

– is known to one and all.

Pabung emphasizes, "On seeing the giant vehicles moving in many numbers together in a line at different directions was a major turning point of event for us during that time.

We at once understood that the war began.

In the year 1943, Manipur society hasn't been exposed yet to vehicles travelling on roads.

As such it was a sight worth looking for when those iron framed war vehicles came before our sight.

In between, we used to also see huge iron framed vehicles carrying motor bikes loaded with pointed guns in front with them.

Guarding all those heavy engine vehicles in front were jeeps driven by tall white (Gora) soldiers.

We all understood that it was wartime and during night time, we were as informed beforehand, were to shut out all the sources of light inside our houses.

During those days, we were ruled by the British government and as indicated by the government officials stationed at different parts of our state, some came to us in order to alert us regarding taking up precautionary measures if there were air bombings from certain altitude in our regions.

All the civil societies located in our locality were advised to prepare hiding spaces firstly, in L shapes near our houses specifically choosing dry grounds to dig up the spot.

Also there were secondly, specific orders to dig up hiding places in dry ground in W shapes in case, sudden air bombings occur" .

Pabung was only thirteen year old during that time.

As he states, there were frequent sounds of blasts in nearby regions and most often people chose to hide inside the L and W shaped rescue spots for their lives.

Sadly whenever there was rainfall, there was water logging in it and many people lost their lives with snake bites.

He continues, "We could hear warning sirens very often alarming the civilians about the arrival of Japanese planes.

Japanese airplanes in twenties and thirties (in number) would be seen in the sky.

It was fascinating when we saw the Japanese bombs being counterstriked and destroyed in air space by the firings done by the highly advanced anti- aircraft guns installed at different locations in different junctions by the Allied forces.

All we could see was the fascinating display of white smokes that appeared to us as if they were following the Japanese airplanes retreating back to disappear finally in the airway" .

Pabung's father, Dr..TGorbodhon Singh was a retired medical officer during that time but based on an earnest suggestion by some head officials of the army, he was appointed by the government officials as a member of the anti-aircraft precautionary measure (ARPM) in the rank of an army officer.

His father's task was to alert the civilians in case of an incoming air way attack and as well to bring about an awareness of first aid measures to the civilians in case of injuries as a major part of the ARPM.

As pabung puts forth frankly, "Because of my father, our family was lucky enough to not have come across the problem of scarcity of food owing to wartime emergency and instead, we were supplied regularly with good stock of food and fruits packaged properly for military supply.

The place where we along with the soldiers stationed in our locality had to go for collecting our respective share of ration was situated at Angom Kamini's house in Moirangkhom.

Like most of the families located at Imphal fled in order to protect themselves by taking refuge in far off safer regions of the state, all the members of Kamini's family left owing to the war inflicted situation.

As such white military officers stayed in the front yard of their house and it was converted meanwhile into a ration distribution unit.

Some quota of vegetables, rice, dals, slices of meat, fish, dairy products and fruits in tin containers were parts of the regular supply of ration" .

Coming to the specific point of WWII and the advent of technology in Manipur, pabung foregrounds some of the interesting truths about this facet.

As could be inferred from his account, most thought or had the impression that if they remained concentrated in the Imphal region, then there was no safely and that they would be sure victims of unpredictable bombardments.

So far off villages were thought to be safe havens.

Meanwhile he continues, "I could not recollect the particular reason but my father was suddenly posted at Bishnupur's lammangdong as a medical officer.

One day, my father was informed to return back to his home at Imphal, that he must pack up, his medicines and belongings along and that he and his family would be picked up and dropped safely at his residence by troops.

On that same day, we heard that in the late evening, British army immediately set fire to major regions of Moirang, Phubala and Ningthoukhong based on reports (information) that Japanese troops were heading closer in those sides and that they could take shelter and seek help from the civilians there for food.

Those regions were turned into wild fire zones and then into ashes sooner as part of an emergency precautionary action.

People from those sides on pre-noticed, fled at Thanga side and sooner, we witnessed airplanes known as Dacota flying in bunches.

Air bombs were a frequently expected reality in those times.

Air bombings were heavy on regions just beyond Moirang, Bishnupur, Churachandpur and rail lines were laid down on the Bishnupur mountain side, now the space where the current administrative office of the SP is standing for the purpose of transporting heavy guns and other war machineries to Moirang, Kumbi camps.

We could literally hear echoing sounds of bomb blast from the village located at Loklaobung during night time mostly" .

Adding an element of humor in the midst of our conversation, Pabung then accounted about the motor bike that he had purchased when the war ended.

During those times, the idea of a man riding a bike or a jeep was not only a new phenomenon altogether but it was also something worth drawing everyone's attention.

Pabung describes, "the vehicles of the war salvage were stocked at Chingmeirong, particularly in the area where the TB Hospital is located now.

May be someone had taken the contract of selling all those vehicles of war salvages.

For me it was a matter of great pride to possess one of those vehicles and I was frankly tempted whenever I saw people riding a jeep or a motor bike during those times.

One of the brightest sides to the post war phase was the fact that people gradually became keener on handling the technologically bound machines.

So much so that some used to purchase anything that they liked from that place and they used to directly get into the business of reassembling the usable parts of those purchased engines for better purposes.

In short, there was an advent of the idea of the positive aspects of technology in our state and the technical know-how was so advanced that we can see its positive side effects today till today.

During those times, many were becoming experts in handling mechanical working patterns of engines and also in driving.

Today we see that Manipuris who drive very well are also experts in repairing the engines of the vehicle.

This skill and expertise in mechanical handling is in a way anticipated by the introduction of the different kinds of engines (machineries) during war time.

The point to be noted here is that the post WWII Manipur had on its roads vehicles like dos Maitenbi, jeeps and Norton bikes.

For many, life became more comfortable after public transport system was introduced and when it was turning into a more comfortable channel of travelling.

People were drawn by the advanced nature of technology and its contributions towards making our life smoother.

We were curious whenever we were in and around anything that had to do with machines.

I was desperate to possess one of those vehicles.

One day my father asked me to go immediately to Ningthoukhong.

Since war was over and the harvested paddy from our field there was not yet collected, he asked me to fetch it immediately.

I went that day itself and collected it but by making an excuse that it was difficult for me to arrange for transporting the loads of paddy immediately, I sold all of it.

I got 900 rupees and on my way back home, I purchased one Norton motor bike for 700 rupees.

It was a scene worth remembering when I entered our house campus riding that bike and made all too stunned" .

As could be understood from pabung's expressions, "the war time and the post war scene that I had witnessed as a teenager was a mixed picture altogether.

On one side, there were many fleeing their homes due to fear most probably to their relatives' place and on the other side, people handled the situation of emergency and crisis very well.

Whenever there were sounds of siren, they remained hidden and when there was peace for a short while, life seemed totally normal with the day to day proceedings taking place at its usual pace.

It's similar to the contemporary time when whenever there is curfew announced, silence prevailed everywhere and when the curfew is relaxed for few hours, we carry on with our lives and handle the crisis very smoothly" .

84 year old pabung emphasized that the war had seemed to come to its end but it took some time for the official declaration to be done.

The soldiers too remained stationed at their respective postings and it took some time for their complete withdrawal from our state to materialize.

In between, he says, "elders started getting worried about the needful formal education for me.

I and some of my friends were just wandering freely in the midst of war time crisis and were enjoying the freedom.

Oja Konjengbam Gauro was the one who took the initiative of organizing classes for us in his sangoi with the help of his school teachers.

One day while we were occupied with our day's course, we suddenly witnessed one airplane speeding down with its tail on fire.

It crashed soon on the backyard of oja Gauro's house.

I along with some of my friends was kind of naughty and we rushed to the crashed site, forcefully opened the doors of the plane and were looking for any casualties.

Six of them were there inside and we could rescue five Madrasi soldiers (black men) but the pilot was already dead.

Recalling further about his memory of those time, he as well expressed about a very fascinating dimension of WWII, technology and US.

He recounts, "The location where the main post office building is standing today was used during the war time as an engineering unit.

The function of that unit was to ensure that the officers posted at different locales of Manipur during the war were supplied proper facilities.

So civilians, even six of them from our locality were employed for carpentry work and simultaneously, this employment opportunity helped them earn a good sum of money.

Right next to this unit, was one mobile workshop functioning very systematically.

One of the most striking and influencing impact of technology that influenced me deeply was when I came across that mobile workshop.

The workshop had a trailer with the help of which it could be drawn anywhere whenever a servicing work was required.

It also had cutting, drilling, lead machine to mention some.

I was never tired of watching its mechanical functioning.

When I completed my twelve, my family members, worried about my future, convinced me to go for engineering.

Most in my family thought that I wasn't too much into studies, so a technical line will save me from getting drifted.

I went along with some of my friends to Guwahati for entrance exam but instead of preparing for the entrance, I saw table-tennis there in the engineering school and I was playing it for most of the time.

On the exam day, I answered the questions that I could and I just left the exam hall.

I failed in the entrance and it was due to my friends' suggestion that I became aware of the Institute of Engineering Technology in Jorhat.

Without wasting time, I rushed there and prepared seriously for the entrance exam.

My fascination for mechanical engineering was to such a great extent that I cleared the entrance and got the fourth rank.

Luckily it was informed that the first four rank holders would be given a scholarship of rupees 25 for four years.

There were many occasions when I remembered that war time mobile workshop and its deep influence in my life.

When I finally became a mechanical engineer, I realized the fact that even though the Second World War had brought chaos in our place, it could not be denied as well that it introduced us to a world of technology and development in our land.

I thanked pabung for giving me his precious time and also for sharing his dynamic wartime experiences.

When our conversation concluded, I somehow felt like the story hasn't ended yet.

May be there is still more to it and the thirst for multiple perspectives based upon real experiences of WWII hasn't quenched yet.

I will continue to look for more.

Hope I find more so that I could continue to record it for all to read through the doorway of Hueiyen Lanpao Newspaper.

Let's hope for the best.

Thokchom Satyapriya Singh worked in PWD (Manipur) and Border Road Organization.

He retired as an Executive Engineer in the year 1994.In 1983, he held the position of the president in well-known clubs like THE LIONS CLUB OF IMPHAL, HAOBAM MARAK SOCIAL CLUB and SOLAR UNION CLUB.

For the year 2006-2007, he became the District Governor of the LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL 322D .

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