IMPHAL, April 7: The Khongjom Battle Memorial Celebration Committee has appealed to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee against attending the coming April 23 Khongjom Day observation.
The committee lamented that the President has been misled on the date of observation by the Government of Manipur.
Speaking at a press conference held at Manipur Press Club today, secretary of the committee, Chingtam Luwang stated that if the President attends the April 23 observation, the committee will protest.
On the same day the committee will also submit an ultimatum against the wrong commemoration of the Khongjom Battle by State Government since decades back, he said.
Being citizens of India, the committee don’t wish the President to attend the wrong observation of a historic battle of Manipur, observed on a wrong day and at the wrong place, he said.
He stated that as per records and findings of the committee, it is clear that the war took placed on April 25, 1891 at ‘Tengol Lampak’, as is clearly written in the British record. He said the place is also known as ‘Langathel Ching’ or ‘Lan Ngam Ching.’
The ‘Kheba Ching’ where the State government has been observing the day is not under the revenue jurisdiction of Khongjom but falls under Wangjing, he observed.
Against all appeals and and fact records submitted by the committee to the government to rectify the wrong observation, the State government still continue to observe the day on the wrong date, he said.
He continued that the Government of Manipur had also acknowledged from several evidences submitted by the committee that their observation is wrong, but due to lack of initiative, the government has failed to rectify wrong observation commemorating martyrs.
In a souvenir title as ‘President VV Giri’s visit to Manipur’ October 20 to 22, 1972 published by Publicity Department which is now Department of Information and Publicity it is clearly stated that the “…the great Manipuri heros who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for independence of their mother-land against the British was on the 25th day of April 1981,” he said.
Patron member of the committee, Padmashri RK Jhalajit Singh said that observance of April 23 as Khongjom War is wrong, as it is the day when Paona Brajabashi was killed.
The day which to be observed as the Khongjom War should be on April 25, he said.
On April 23, 1981 Paona Brajabashi with a sword charged towards the British camp built on the top of Kheba Ching and was killed, he said.
He elaborated that during the early morning on April 25 the British army fired guns and artillery at the Manipur fort at Tengol Lampak and a ferocious battle took place at the this place.
RK Jhalajit Singh stated that the Khongjom Battle observance must be observe on April 25 at Tengol Lampak which is true date, and added that it will be the betterment of future generation otherwise it will be a gruesome for future generation.