Imphal, April 20,
Paying floral tributes to the memorial of the victims and the departed souls of the bombing, 75th Anniversary of Khurai Chingambam Mandop Bombing was observe today at Khurai Chingangbam Mandap.
Speaking to Imphal Times, Kh Nimaicharan, Kh Nimaicharan, lost his father on the faithful day said that the horrific event and one of the biggest in the history of Manipur where more than 100s’s were killed during bombing by Japanese from air at the Chingangbam Mandap.
In memory and remembrance of the victims who have lost their lives in the bombing, the commemoration is being observed, he added.
Nimaicharan also said that the victims’ family had appeals and memorandum have been submitted to government to preserve the site as the historical monument under the historical monument act.
Though a positive response have not yet receive, a positive view of the government to preserve the site can be seen and if they announce the site will be preserve as historical monument, victims’ families are keen to observe a big commemoration for the entire Manipur and tell the story about how the horrific event was occurred and what were the consequences that have suffered by the victims during that time, he added.
The victims family narrates 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.
Yumnam Rajeshwor, President, Co-Founder of Imphal Campaign Foundation, WW2 had taken a big role in commemorating the event by handing over the facts documents of the event from British archives collected from Manipur soil during the WW2 history.
On 74th anniversary, 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 was also handed over to the victims’ family by Yumnam Rajeshwor.
It may be recall that on April 20, 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.
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.
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.
Mention may be that Deputy Chief of Japanese embassy Shunichi Inoue had apologies to the victims’ family for whatever happen during the war and shared the grief and sorrow of the families of the bombing where more than 100 locals of the khurai and its nearby surrounding areas lost their lives on behalf of the Japanese soldiers of the WW2 on the 74th commemoration day observed last year.
