For the people of Manipur the rejection by the Imperial administration of thousands of post war compensation petitions was disheartening. Compensation was denied because the area was temporarily occupied by the Japanese.
New Delhi
The state of Manipur suddenly finds itself the centre of focus and prime salience, albeit for the wrong reasons. The current bout of ethnic violence apart, a general awareness about Manipur at the national level is abysmally low. The general public is unaware not only about the state’s historic past, but also about the great contribution by its people to both national honour and prestige. One of the most significant examples is the defeat of the Japanese at the historic Battle of Imphal, March to June 1944, during World War II, by the British Indian Army assisted by the population of Manipur. It is this Battle of Imphal and its twin, the Battle of Kohima that turned the tide against the Japanese onslaught.
Losing the Battles of Imphal and Kohima was the first defeat suffered by the Japanese in World War II. Their resultant retreat facilitated the liberation of Burma, now Myanmar, by the Allied powers. In a contest run by the British National Army Museum in 2013, the Battle of Imphal was bestowed the title of being Britain’s “Greatest Battle”, an honour few know about. Sadly, bearing mute testimony today to this “Greatest Battle” are three memorials. One is the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Imphal, wherein lie the graves of fallen military officers from different countries of the Commonwealth. Also in Imphal is the Indian Army War Cemetery wherein are interred the mortal remains of Muslim soldiers mainly from India and a few from Africa as well. At the southern end stands Imphal Cremation Memorial commemorating Hindu and Sikh military personnel whose mortal remains were cremated at the site.
By 1943 the Japanese were well entrenched in Burma. Facing Manipur and Assam, was the Japanese 15th Army under the charge of Lt Gen Renya Mutaguchi, a staunch protagonist of an India invasion. The Japanese also had on their side the personnel of the Azad Hind Fauj, or Indian National Army (INA). Intelligence reports confirmed that the Japanese were planning a massive invasion of India, with Manipur and Assam no doubt being the gateways. To counter this, Imphal was developed as a strong Allied logistic base, with airfields, encampments and supply dumps, and linked to an even large base at Dimapur by a winding 160 km long road, through the steep, densely forested Naga Hills. The IV Corps, responsible for the defence of Imphal was commandeered by Lt Gen Geoffrey Scoones. Several other infantry divisions were stationed in an around Imphal. Each brigade of the British Indian Divisions generally comprised one British, one Gurkha and one Indian battalion.
Gen Mutaguchi ordered the commencement of U-Go, the code name for the India offensive, on the night of March 7/8 ten days ahead schedule. Within a few days the Japanese troops had crossed the border and laid siege to the Kohima-Imphal Highway, blocking all channels of communication between the two cities. The British command however, had not anticipated such a rapid Japanese advance through thick jungle and hazardous, mountainous terrain, which in turn proved a key factor in slowing down the British Indian Army’s counter-offensive.
The main thrust of the Japanese attack was on the plains around Imphal. Despite being a more easily negotiable terrain, it was surrounded by high jungle covered hills, making it more vulnerable. North east of Imphal, the Japanese seized the Nunshigum peak, the highest in the area. A battalion of Dogras supported by tanks started moving up the ridge along the narrow path. Intense firing by the Japanese resulted in the death of all the tank commanders. Immediately Sgt. Maj. Walter Craddock took charge of the tanks, and backed by Subedar Ranbir Singh and his Dogra troops, continued the move on to the summit. In what ended up as a highly commendable feat, the entire Japanese force was decimated. Troops of the 5th Indian Corps then attacked and cleared the other peaks of the Japanese presence, unfortunately resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.
On the Silchar track near Imphal, the Japanese were supported by the Gandhi Brigade of the INA, also known as the Japanese Indian Forces (JIFs). On the night of 2-3 May, the JIFs launched an attack which ran straight into an ambush by a Gurkha battalion, and was overpowered. Meanwhile, another Indian division confronted the Japanese in the vicinity of Bishenpur, in a battle which witnessed hand to hand fighting with bayonets and khukris. On 22 June, a corps of armoured tanks came down from Kohima and succeeded in lifting the siege of Imphal. A further Japanese advance was stalled and later had to be halted on account of the onset of the monsoon. Whatever remained of the Japanese divisions were ordered to retreat. A last ditch attempt by a few Japanese troops to launch and offensive at Ukhrul was also repulsed, and finally the Japanese retreated to Burma. The overall casualties on the Japanese side were in the range of 60,000, with probably another 20,000 perishing during the retreat. Comparatively, the losses for the British Indian Army and Gurkhas were in the range of 20,000.
In all accounts chronicled about the crucial Battle of Imphal, the role of the residents of Manipur, their tale of sacrifice, resilience and courage, have been largely downplayed. The entire population of the then princely state displayed superlative determination and loyalty towards defending their homeland. Locals provided the labour toiling day and night to maintain and repair supply lines, in addition to identifying and helping navigate safe paths for movement through the most hazardous of terrains. Moreover, many families opened their doors to provide support to the injured as well as food and resting space to the beleaguered soldiers.
The populace, without complaining, went through the agony of forced displacement, loss of property, severe inflation and food scarcity. As the fighting intensified, many were forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in safer pastures. Residential clusters and fields were destroyed to make way for roads, airstrips and war infrastructure. A large number houses were requisitioned by the Allied army and some 20,000 houses were converted into military barracks. The entire population of Naorem Utrapat village was evicted in 1942 and the area acquired for the war effort. When the villagers were able to return in 1945, they found their village razed to the ground. Large tracts of cultivable land were burnt down to prevent any resources or food from falling into the hands of the invading Japanese.
Even more disheartening for the people of Manipur was the rejection by the Imperial administration, of thousands of post war compensation petitions. Compensation to residents of the hill districts of the Naga and Manipur Hills was denied on the grounds that these constituted “enemy territory”, since the area was temporarily occupied by the Japanese. The administration was willing to consider the claims only for damage inflicted by the Allied troops. The local administration was asked to claim war reparations from Japan. All hopes were also dashed to the ground with the signing of the India-Japan Peace Treaty in 1952, whereby India agreed to drop all claims to war reparations.
A strong feeling of betrayal and abandonment rankled within the hearts of the generation of Manipuris who had lived through the hard days of the war. Many also began to feel a deep sense of alienation from India, a sentiment further strengthened by the accession of Manipur to the Union of India. What was needed then, but never taken seriously, was a healing touch. A similar healing touch is all the more necessary now together with a serious effort at conflict resolution, considering that there is a new generation that could well have inherited the legacy of discontent and frustration from their elders.