IMPHAL, Apr 13: Thousands of people, cutting across community lines, today paid rich tributes to the PLA members who have been killed in the course of the revolutionary movement at their Cheiraoching memorial complex here.
The ‘Martyrs Day’ is being observed every year in memory of the Tekcham gun battle of June 16, 1981 where seven revolutionary cadres were killed and the Kodompokpi gun fight of April 13, 1982 where nine PLA combatants were killed.
Floral tributes were paid to the departed militants at their memorial tomb starting from 7 am and the offering of homage continued till 4 pm. Later, lamps were lighted at the memorial complex in the evening.
On the other hand, police took up stringent security measures in and around Cheiraoching in view of the ‘Martyrs Day’. All the people who came to offer tributes and pay homage to the ‘martyrs’ were verified by police.
The crowd gathered at the foot of Cheiraoching swelled considerably after 10 am. A medical camp was also organised at the foothill in connection with the ‘Martyrs Day’.
The large number of people who came to pay homage to departed PLA cadres and leaders at Cheiraoching also paid floral tributes to the statues of National heroes Thangal General, Paona Brajabashi, Bir Tikendrajit and Hijam Irabot. The PLA cadres killed in the gun battle at Kodompokpi were Thoudam Kunjabihari of Kakwa Nameirakpam Leikai, Thoudam Loken alias Amujao of Kakwa Nameirakpam Leikai, Paka of Heirok, Pakhanglakpa alias Puki of Keishampat, RK Khorumba alias Gyane of Moreh, Sorokhaibam Kameshwar alias Kanta of Heibongpokpi, Khundrakpam Chaoban of Kwakeithel Moirangpurel, Naorem Rajen of Kakwa Naorem Leikai and Moirangthem Premkumar of Tera Sapam Leikai.
The seven PLA cadres killed at Tekcham were Ibohal alias Biramangol, Yaima alias Indrajit, Koba alias Rajen Macha, Langlen alias Kacichandra, Inao, Khogen and Joy alias Shanti.
Late Thoudam Loken’s younger brother Thoudam Deben conveyed gratitude to all the people of different communities who come to Cheiraoching every year on April 13 to pay homage to the departed ‘martyrs’.
He said that he was gratified on seeing the large number of people including students gathered there to observe ‘Martyrs Day’ despite stringent measures taken up by police.
He said that the ‘Martyrs Day’ was observed with due permission of Court. People also paid floral tributes to the departed PLA leaders/cadres at Kodompokpi and Tekcham where fierce gun battles were fought in 1982 and 1981.
Source: The Sangai Express
