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No one to guide tourist at Khongjom complex: Hemanta

 Source: Chronicle News Service

Kakching, September 22 2021: Former minister and Khongjom War Memorial Trust president Moirangthem Hemanta has expressed resentment over present condition of Khongjom War Memorial Complex, which remains ownerless with no one to look after the vast structures constructed with huge money.

There is no one to guide tourists visiting the complex and it has been converted into income generating facility for some people, stated Hemanta on the sidelines of 28th Langban Chara Tamba, Heitha Leithaba (Khongjom Tarpan) ceremony organised by Khongjom War Memorial Trust, Khongjom.

Hemanta led members of the Trust in offering floral tribute to statue ofPaona Brajabashi as well as paying tribute (Langban Chara Tamba) to brave forefathers who sacrificed their lives during the Khongjom war for the cause of safeguarding the sovereignty of Manipur.

According to Hemanta, the Trust has been observing Khongjom Tarpan every year since 1994 one day after Langban Purnima of Meitei lunar calendar.

The Meitei community believes that the souls of the dead in the heavenly abode get thirsty and very hungry.

However, they come down to earth from the heavenly abode to pick fruits, rice, paddy and other edible items offered at river in the month of Langban and this quenches their hunger and thirst for one year.

Based on this belief, Meitei community offers Langban Tarpan every year in the month of Langban and the Trust has been observing the same since the past couple of decades in remembrance of the brave forefathers.

After Khongjom War Memorial Complex was developed as a tourist site with the construction of structures worth crores of rupees, many tourists both domestic and foreign visit the complex.

Taking advantage of this, many people have converted the complex into a money minting place in illegal way while there is no one to look after structures constructed at the complex except for remembering it on Tarpan Day.

Being a historic site, many tourists from outside visit the complex even for research work but there is no one to guide tourists, he said, adding many tourists who come with enthusiasm to know history of the land had to return empty handed.

Hemanta urged government to take up steps to remove worshiping place (Mandir) constructed at the complex and appoint tourist guide.