44th death anniversary of Japanese bombing at Khurai Chingangbam Mandap during WW2 observed
Source: IT News
Imphal, April 20 2017:
Paying floral tribute to those innocent people who lost their lives in a bombing by Japanese Army in April, 1943 at Khurai Chingangbam Leikai Mandap, Family members and relatives observed its 44th Death Anniversary in the mandap where the bomb was drop, here today.
Kh Nimaicharan, one of the family members who also lost his father on the faithful day narrates how horrifying the bombing was.
In April 1943, the Japanese Army started dropping bombs at various part of Manipur in an effort to wipe out the Allied forces, unfortunately one of the bombs dropped landed on Khurai Chingangbam Mandap where a large group of people had gathered for a religious feast.
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More than 100 civilians were killed on that day, some on the spot right after the bomb had dropped and some scrummed to injuries at the hospital including those who were travelling on the nearby road, he narrates.
Kh Nimaicharan also narrates that the bombing was one of the nightmare in the history of Manipur as the largest loss of civilian lives in one incident in Manipur throughout World War II.
Being 74 years since the incident, family members and relatives have propose to the state government to preserve the area (mandap) as the heritage site in which a positive response has been received from the concern and the propose may be past in the next or coming year, he added.
Expressing the needs to preserve the site as heritage place in the remembrance of those lost soul, Kh Nimaicharan seek for public support and cooperation.
Mention may be that a memorial place has also been constructed at Khurai Chingangbam Mandap to mark the site where the bombing took place.
A photograph which was taken immediately after the bombing has also been put up to depicts the destruction which occurred that day.
In recent years, the number of people visiting the memorial has increased due to the rise in tourists exploring the nearby Kohima and Imphal battle sites.
The memorial had the words 'Dedicated to the memory of those Unfortunate Number of Civilian Victims of the Japanese Bombing Disaster that had occurred at this Place of the then Khurai Chingangbam Mandap on the 20th of April, 1943 during the 2nd World War' which the memorial stone was donated by Kh Nimaicharan.
On the other hand, Yumnam Rajeshwor Singh, co-founder of Imphal Campaign Foundation, WW2 handed over a list of names (around 100 including in and around Khurai and its nearby area till Chingaral area.) that have lost their lives in the bombing.