PAPPM seeks heritage site tag for Koirengei Airfield
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 18 2025: Concerned over the future of Koirengei Airfield, the People's Alliance for Peace and Progress, Manipur (PAPPM) has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to develop the airfield as a heritage and tourist site rather than conversion of the historic space into a military cantonment.

In a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister, PAPPM described the airfield as an important site of both historical and cultural value.

Developed during World War II with the assistance of American engineers, the airheld played a decisive role in the Battle of Imphal, which the UNESCO has recognised as one of the most significant turning points of the war in Asia.

Along with Tulihal, Pallel and other airstrips, Koirengei facilitated Allied supply lines that prevented Manipur and the North Eastern frontier from falling into the hands of the Japanese Army.

The Alliance stressed that the site is not just a military relic but a living testimony linking Manipur to world events of the 1940s .

The memorandum drew attention to the precedent of Kangla Fort, which was under prolonged occupation by first the British and later the Indian Army until it was restored to the people in 2004.PAPPM said that the restoration transformed Kangla into a symbol of reconciliation, cultural pride and heritage tourism, strengthening both local identity and national integration.

It argued that Koirengei today stands at a similar crossroads, whether it will remain a restricted cantonment of little value to public life, or be reclaimed as a public heritage site espousing remembrance, education and tourism.

PAPPM expressed concerns that if Koirengei is converted into a military cantonment, it will lead to restricted civilian access, urban strain and public discontent.

It said that the site lies within an expanding Imphal City, and establishing a cantonment there will create severe restrictions on land use, infrastructure and urban development.

It warned that Manipur, with its long memory of militarisation of culturally important spaces, may see the move as alienation, while the state would also lose valuable heritage tourism potential at a time when international interest in WWII history is growing.

The Alliance instead proposed a positive vision for heritage development, suggesting that Koirengei be made part of a WWII Heritage Circuit linking Imphal, Kohima and other globally recognised sites, generating local employment through tourism, museums, guided tours and cultural festivals.

It said that such a step would promote national integration by making the people of India and the world aware of Manipur's role in the global struggle for freedom and peace, while serving as a memorial to shared sacrifices.

PAPPM urged that the Union government, in collaboration with the Manipur government, declare Koirengei Airfield a protected heritage site and develop it into a WWII Heritage and Peace Park with museums, memorial spaces and cultural infrastructure.

The memorandum said that this would preserve history while transforming Manipur into a hub of global heritage tourism and bridge the gap between the state, nation and people, just as the restoration of Kangla did.

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