Story telling on WW II held at Ukhrul
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik
Ukhrul, March 26 2019:
A one-day story telling session on World War II (WWII) was held in a simple programme organized for observation of Japanese invasion in Tangkhul region of Manipur.
The programme mainly emphasized on reviving the Tangkhul tradition of oral story telling so as to record the factual incident witnessed by the people during World War II.
Three Nanogerian (aged) persons from Ukhrul namely Thangsha Shaiza, retd IAS Chokchai Luikham and Machung Pheiray narrated the whole episode of the cruelty of war and the post war epidemic.
They said that Japanese troop reached Ukhrul on March 21, 1944 passing through Kongkan Thana area bordering village of Burma (Myanmar) adding that fierce battle was fought at Harva Khangai of Khangkhui village and Shangshak.
They saw bombing and gunfight between the two warring groups (Japanese and British armies), lost of numerous lives and human casualties on both sides, though the battle was won Japanese army.
Later, most of the Tangkhul dominated areas were brought under Japanese administration for about three months, they added.
They further said that the Japanese built up a cordial relationship with village headmen and the villagers in order to support them during their reign.
According Chokchai Luikham, Japanese chief Administrator Tionaga was a well-mannered person who also educated them about the origin of mongoloid race adding that he was a generous person, willing to assist villagers at length.
Chokchai further mentioned, Japanese soldiers showed great respect to the women unlike Britishers.
He also mentioned that numerous INA armies along with Japanese soldiers were moving forward from time to time during the war.
However, after a gap of three months, they saw Japanese soldier retreating from the war.
After the second world war came to an end in the region, epidemic broke out in most of the Tangkhul villages, many suffered from different diseases, which were fatal and lost their lives due to lack of healthcare services and ignorant to the endemic diseases.
The one-day story telling programme was organized by group of like minded youths of Ukhrul at IFAD conference at Viewland, Ukhrul.