National seminar on 'Netaji's INA and the North East during WW- II' conducted
Source: The Sangai Express

Churachandpur, March 31 2024: A one-day national seminar on 'Netaji's INA and the North East during WW-II' was held yesterday at the conference hall of Lamka College, Churachandpur organised by the Department of History of the college under the sponsorship of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHS), New Delhi.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Sonthang Haokip, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Lamka College and Coordinator of the seminar pointed out that the primary objective of organizing the seminar was to bring to light, the less known history of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the 'great patriot', 'proud son of India' and his Indian National Army to public domain, said a press release by the coordinator of the seminar.

He went on to state that the story of Netaji was undeniably a saga of sweat and blood.

The British branded him a rebel but to the Indians, he is a true patriot in the highest degree.

As per documented records, it is learnt that while the Indo-Japanese forces were still in Burma, some group of people rushed in there and contacted them.

Presenting a paper on 'INA Movement in Tuithaphai (Khuga Valley), 1944: Based on eye-witness Account and Oral Sources', Professor Lal Dena reinterpreted the interaction between the local people and the INA men based on eyewitness accounts and oral information given by the people who were actually involved in the movement.

He recounted that the INA freedom fighters entered the Tuithaphai (Khuga valley) on April 4, 1944 along with the Japanese soldiers from the eastern side through Saikawt village and soon encamped just on the eastern side of the village.

They stayed here about four months beginning from April to August 1944 basically with the support of the local people, mainly the Hmar people.

The professor maintained that the local people were not so much influenced by the political ideology of INA because they had been under British colonial rule since 1834 .

As, Southeast Asia countries Including Burma had submitted to the Japanese-INA forces, one after another, the British forces had vacated to make a tactical withdrawal from Tuithaphai to Imphal.

So, out of compulsion or out of fear, the local people had to support the combined INA-Japanese forces with any available local resources, he added.

Notably other eminent professors from different colleges also presented papers on topics related to the seminar.

The inaugural and valedictory sessions were moderated by Thiangbiaksang, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Lamka College.

While the first academic session was chaired by Dr Paolenthang Khongsai, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Raybum College, the second session was chaired by Professor Lal Dena.

The valedictory speech was delivered by T Chingzaman, Principal, Lamka College while Khamkhotinsei Touthang, Department of History, Lamka College proposed the vote of thanks.

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