Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Moirang and Shishak's INA flag: It is hard to find a Bengali who has not heard of or read about the legendary Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Many of them also know of the existence of a well-kept memorial to the Indian National Army at Moirang in the picturesque Loktak Lake area, 32 km from Imphal town, but have not visited it. It is built on the site where, on 4 April 1944, Netaji hoisted the INA flag on Indian soil for the first time (Meitei insurgents assert Manipur was never part of India and still is not). A contributor to Imphal Free Press, Waikhom Shana, reported last week that an INA flag, made of khadi and with an emblem of a springing tiger and which was hoisted for the first time on Indian territory, “is still in good shape and is in the custody of YA Shishak of Sangshak” in Manipur’s Ukhrul district. Now in his 70s, Shishak told Waikhom that he had worked for the Maratha Infantry as well as for the Japanese as a peon and that he had also been taken to Japan twice. INA men ...

Found stored in a box at Ukhrul: Imphal, Apr 27: The INA flag which was hoisted for the first time in Indian territory is still existing in good shape.The flag is in the custody of YA Shishak of Shangshak in Ukhrul district, who witnessed the Indo-Japanese war at Shangshak. He also served as a peon in both the Maratha Infantry and Japanese Army in diffetent periods of time. The tricolour flag is made of Khadi and has a tiger printed on it. YA Shishak says the flag was the first INA flag which was hoisted first in Ukhrul by the INA. The INA complex built at Moirang was supposed to be made in Ukhrul but the late ex-chief minister Koireng build it at Moirang, he said. YA Shishak was in Class III when the Indo-Japanese war took place at Shangshak. The Maratha Infantry took him in their ranks as a peon. After some time he was caught by the Japanese Army who again made him work as a peon for them. He was taken to Tokyo twice by the Japanese, he said. YA Shishak is now living near Shangshak w...