Graves of 87 State natives found in Europe
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 25 2015 :
Graves of 87 Manipuri people who participated in the World War I and other battles as members of Labour Corps have been discovered in different European countries and Egypt.
According to the Second World War Imphal Campaign Foundation founder Yumnam Rajeshwar, the graves of Manipuri people who took part in different battles in Europe during the World War I were discovered after an extensive exploration.
The Manipur Labour Corps comprising of 2000 Manipuri natives were sent to Europe from Bombay by sea in April 1917 in accordance with an agreement struck between the then Manipuri king and British Political Agent Lt Col HWG Cole.
Graves of the Manipuri people who were killed in different battles have been discovered in France, Italy and Egypt.
There are also reports about presence of some more graves of members of Manipur Labour Corps in Yemen, Rajeshwar said.
The Manipur Labour Corps stayed for almost one year and a half in France.
They were engaged in transportation of arms and weapons, construction of temporary camps, digging trenches and cleaning camps.
For assisting the British war efforts by sending 2000 men, the British Government honoured Churachand Maharaj with the title of KCSI, CBE.
But there is no proper record of all those men who were sent to war fronts as labourers.
The State Government has not been making any efforts to identify and/or honour all those Manipuri natives killed in the war, Rajeshwar said.
Claiming that he has gathered certain information about some of them as well as the graves where they were buried, Rajeshwar volunteered to help families of those Manipuri natives killed in World War I if they wish to search the mortal remains of their deer ones.
Akhil Pukhini (Mao), Salkhukam Kuki, Sangai (Nunghar village), Makhal Tangkhul, Thisan (Kachai) are some of the Manipur Labour Corps members whose graves have been discovered, Rajeshwar added.