Imphal War Cemetery bears brunt of an indifferent public

Imphal, July 12: Set up with funding from the Commonwealth War Graves to honour the Allied soldiers who died fighting the enemy during World War II in this part of the country, the Imphal War Cemetery located just opposite DM College at Kebo Leikai is today ravaged not by the passage of time but by an unfeeling people to whom civic sense and decorum is absent. Undoubtedly the place still has a lot to offer to the visitors in terms of its manicured lawns and scenic beauty but keeping up the good work is proving to be a cumbersome task thanks to the insensitive people who come visiting in hordes. To these people the sanctity of the place has no meaning at all, not even the fact that this place has been dedicated to the soldiers who died fighting for a cause they held so dearly. The memories of 1603 Allied soldiers are encrypted in well maintained memorial stones. Of this 138 are unknown soldiers. Of the total soldiers whose memories are encrypted here, 1017 are from UK, 222 Indians including two unknown, 11 Canadians, five Australians, two New Zealanders, 42 East Africans, 10 West Africans, 10 Burmese, one Southern Rhodesian, three Chinese and one from the South African navy. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission also looks after the Indian Army War Cemetery at Hatta where the memories of 800 Indian soldiers including Muslims and Hindus are enshrined. A Mali who works at these cemeteries said that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission had appointed 8 malis including one Head Gardener to look after the cemeteries. The Commission foots their salaries. Of the 8 malis three are posted at the Indian War Cemetery at Hatta while the other four are at the Imphal War Cemetery at Kebo Leikai. The day for the malis start at break of dawn and they are engaged in keeping the cemetery spic and span. The Head Gardener looks after the maintenance of both the cemeteries. Though the malis are committed to their work and diligently carry out their work to the best of their abilities, visitors who throng the cemetery everyday are becoming somewhat of a nuisance. The visitors, especially the young ones, have no compunction in plucking the flowers so carefully nurtured and grown by the malis. Some of them even go to the extent of uprooting the flower plants, the malis said with a twinge of disappointment. The visitors also regularly litter the cemetery with the eatables they bring along with them. Even though there is a sign board which clearly says "No parking in front of gate" the visitors do not think twice before parking their vehicles in front of the gate. The bronze plates on which the epitaphs of the dead soldiers are written are also stolen at times. What is more, the seven shed put up for the convenience of the visitors have been turned into public toilets by the visitors themselves. Not surprisingly the malis are facing a tough time monitoring the visitors.