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Our Correspondent
Khangkhui Khullen (Manipur), Sep. 12 (EMN): The villagers of a remote village in Manipur’s Ukhrul district has urged the government to develop a mountain peak, where the first battle between Japanese and allied forces on Indian soil took place during World War II 78 years ago, as a tourist destination.
“We call it Harva Khangai and this historic mountain peak is located about 3 km east from the village playground,” Chairman of the Tourism Development Organisation of Khangkhui village, Sami Ignatius told Eastern Mirror.
“The first battle occurred simultaneously when allied forces at Harva Khangai attacked Japanese who landed with 200 elephants at Khorung on March 11, 1944,” Sami said.
“The remains of military trenches, war equipment and artifacts are still here in the village.”
Khangkhui Khullen is located about 100 km northeast of Imphal via Ukhrul and has around 200 households.
“Infrastructure development is required at Harva Khangai and Khorung, which is also an attractive mountain peak where the beautiful seasonal flowers grow round the year, for the development of the state,” Sami added.
Khorung, located 3.5km south-east of the village, is also a popular view point and is known for its rhododendrons in February/March and caulokaempferia in July every year.
Sharing a similar sentiment, Tuisham KH, another member, said these places are one of the main important areas for developing war tourism.
Khangkhui Khullen is an important tourist spot in the north-eastern state for its old stone age caves popularly known as Khangkhui caves. Many people visit the cave round the year.
Acknowledging the importance, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had announced plans to develop a tourist lodge and a community hall during the first state-level Shirui lily festival in 2017.
Now, the construction of a nine-room tourist lodge and a community hall is almost completed and waiting for inauguration.
Even though government initiatives in the village are appreciated, the village authority wants completion of the tourism infrastructures with quality.
The village secretary Silas Tuikhar said that the 25 km road (constructed under PMGSY) which leads to the village from Kamjong road needs improvement so that buses can ply as most people visit the village in groups.
Once the required facilities are completed, the visitors can enjoy not only the natural beauties of the village but also the Khorung peak view points and historical site at Harva Khangai where the first battlefield (between Japanese and Allied forces) occurred, the village chairman Shimreiyo Shimray added.