INA in the story of an incomplete diary
- Part 4 -

Makhomani Mongsaba *

Indian National Army (INA) museum at Moirang :: June 2011

(Translated by Aheibam Anita & Aheibam Koireng Singh for incorporating as chapter in our forthcoming book on "Manipur And Second World War")

The long narratives, in between I crossed and questioned him who were the ones to instruct during the training. To my question, Pabung Nake answered spontaneously "INA was made in alliance with Japan". It was based on Guerrilla warfare technique, a very rigourous one at that. Secret war strategies of Japanese warfare and technique were learnt.

I further questioned him, "the founder of Azad Hind Fauz and the person to raise INA, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, did you meet him in Rangoon?" Pabung Nake replied he 'never' met Netaji but it was a wonder. During the training we were told a very important person would be visiting and we must listen to him. During the training, it was so exhausted he did not want to hear anymore and so quietly sat at the back.

One leader of INA came, he spoke a lot, and too exhausted he was dozing and missed out on what was said. Later on came to learn that the speaker was Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. It was never let known in advance that Netaji would be coming and addressing. He came once or twice and spoke. Every time he looked different and we never knew it was him. Only after he spoke and left were we told that it was Netaji. That was the modus operandi of those days. "Had I know that Netaji was coming I would have been sitting at the front and listening to Netaji. This was Pabung Nake's narrative.

"When asked who the person from Manipur was I raised my hand since I being native and was familiar with the terrain was therefore made the captain and with three Japanese soldiers and seven of the Azad Hind Fauz, a patrolling party team was ordered to leave for Manipur. The person who gave the order was Netaji, It was later talked about.

With me as the Captain, I led the team on foot through Rangoon to Manipur crossing Singhat, Churachandpur, then further to Moirang in the month of March. The journey was a month long one. To proclaim the presence of INA in Manipur, a tri-colour flag was hoisted at Hemam Nilamani's residence.

I myself hoisted the flag and established the advance Headquarter. With the Moirang Base Camp efforts were initiated to raise an army of INA. Then he met with many Meitei individuals and held talks and discussions. A strong campaign was on to win more people on their side. Many important Meiteis joined in.

Until now what can be discussed is that the headquarters at INA Moirang was established under the leadership of a Meitei Pangal by the name Nake Ahmed Choudhury. Another thing is, on April 14, 1944 Commander Colonel Shaukat Ali Malik hoisted the INA flag at a public function at Moirang Kangla. I came across the information now this must have been the second time the flag was hoisted.

I myself took up the task of finding out the truth of the Meitei Pangal Nake Ahmed Choudhury was the man to hoist the INA flag for the first time. To find out I tried to meet Pabung Heman NIlamani when I heard that he has a house at Sangaiporou. I found out his house got to meet him. This respected elder knew Nake Ahmed Choudhury very well.

When Nake was about to put up the flag at the tulsi mound in my courtyard, I told him to please move away to the side a little as that was a sacred space. Nake put up the pole little away towards the side of the house. This, he narrated to me. Some other things I discussed with him were only about Manipur women who were recruited in Ina, he gave me two names, Keinya and Mutum Randhoni.

He did not tell me the surname and address of Keinya. The shootouts between the Japanese and the British Soldiers happened at morning and evening always. For aiding the Japanese, K Gopal, L Sanajaoba, Heman Nilamani, Mairenbam Koireng were declared revolutionaries and ordered to be shot at sight by the then Political Agent of Manipur.

In the short meeting with Pabung Hemam Nilamani I was given some more names of members of the advance party of INA, Manipur. They were Heman Nilamani, Potshangbam Tomal of Heirangoithong, Laishram Kanhai of Keishamthong, Longjam Bijoy of Keishamthong, Moirangthem Jatra of Bishnupur, Thokchom Angou of Singjamei, Sarungbam Ibohal of Singjamei, and R.K Maipaksana of Chingmathak.

These facts I just mentioned was the truth Pabung Budhamani was fervently seeking for while he was alive. In his diary these were the things he had left blank. He would not take anybody else's words, only what Nake Ahmed Choudhury would say be the truth,thethe that was his strongest belief.

When Pabung Budhamani wanted to find out the answers to the questions, Pabung Nake did not give a proper response, I later on, learnt the reason for that.

As the writer, I met with the two elders separately and collected their stories, Pabung Yumnam Budhamani and Pabung Nake met at Moirang and while they were talking of INA, Pabung Nake was arrested, this was already mentioned earlier. The part that follows would be the ultimate climax. When I went alone without Pabung Budhamani, I found out that in him there was one huge grudge against Pabung Budhamani.

That was the cause of a conflict and affected the relation between them. He felt Pabung Budhamani arranged his arrest. He further narrated, how that day of his arrest was an unforgettable one till the present moment. The military camp at Kakching Lamkhai was a big camp of the British Amry during the days of the Second World War. He was taken there and tortured tremendously.

The British soldier took him to be dead and he was thrown away. Because of the severe physical beatings both his ears drums were totally damaged and since then he could hear no sound. This deafness and weak physical condition was the reward for leading the revolt of INA bringing the tri-colour flag and hoisting it for the first time. This the Japanese War veterans knew and felt.

Whenever the Japanese war veterans come to Manipur they bring specially made hearing aids for him. As a life member of Indo-Myanmar Association, I used to deliver the hearing aids to him at his house. Thus Pabung Nake and me knew each other.

Conclusion:

Earlier I did not know Pabung Nake's story in detail. Two halves of the story come together. I had understood. One half from Pabung Budhamani, another half by Pabung Nake, I combined the two and one whole was compiled. Pabung Budhamani always thought Pabung Nake to be a very important leader of INA. He considered Pabung Nake to be missing, whether dead or alive or any of his whereabouts.

Co-incidentally when I happened to mention a man named Nake to be still alive, turned out to be Nake Ahmed Choudhury of whom Pabung Budhamani has deep regards. So in the year 1996 on June 29 at 8:30 AM they met. This very record was noted down by Pabung Budhamani in his diary. Meeting after a long time they recalled their stories. Pabung Nake held a bitter grudge. He always thought Pabung Budhamani was the informer.

A loving friend from his days of youth who once studied with him, one whom he always kept thinking of, only whose words about INA would be the sole truth, this one person has all the while misunderstood him. This made him heart broken.

His sincere truth from the heart – I clarified to Pabung Nake. Pabung Nake, he accepted the clarification about his misunderstandings and gave some more names of INA members to find out if they are still alive. If they are alive, told me to organise a meeting and sitting down together with Budhamani, they will then tell the real story, Pabung Nake told me.

The names of Manipuris elders who joined INA in Pabung Nake's list were same as those given by respected elder Heman Nilamani. One day Pabung Nake called me at home to meet someone. It was also a Meitei Pangal named Kayamuddin Pukhrimayum. Kayamuddin Pukhrimayum, I had already met earlier as a renowned young writer. We three sat down at Pabung Nake's house.

He told me and Oja Kayamuddin, 'I have told in details about INA to Kayamuddin and made him write it down some stories other than those I have told Ibungo (myself Makhonmani) I have told verbally. You both write my story, thus he entrusted the task. Oja Kayamuddin worked at Government settlement department. He was very busy. Equally busy, we both could not meet often. At times, on his way back from office we used to sit down together and began working on the story. And we decided to start like that.

Carrying out Pabung Nake's words to organise the meeting soon I started to work upon and found most of them dead. I remember, only one RK Maipaksana to be alive and met him. I report the news to Pabung Budhamani, he was very happy. To give the news I went to Pabung Nake's house, Pabung Nake had a sudden demise, dead and was buried, to my disbelief a big lock hung on the door of his house. Sorrows come one after another to me. Kayamuddin Pukhrimayum was travelling in a Jeep when it overturned; he too died in the accident. All that was built up crumbled down.

Pabung Budhamani and me, all our dream went in vain. Pabung and me didn't meet for some time. Later on one more news reached me 'Ema Langathel Thoinu's husband Yumnam Budhamani is now no more'. He left this world in the year 2001. The war diary he had written... with no one to fill it up… was still left incomplete. All these are, today, left as a story. Except for some very near and dear one, I had never let out these stories.

The story I am telling is not the complete one yet. There is more. This... is the message from my heart. Seeing INA at Moirang I humbly remember the role performed by the departed souls who are now in the world of Gods. Ignorant as I was whatever I learnt of INA was all because of them. I value deeply. I still remember Pabung Nake's words till today.

"To win the hearts of the people....! The revolt that people do not support... would be hard to succeed".


Concluded....