Manipur is now on war tourism map But preserving Koirengei airfield is key – Indian Defence Research Wing idrw.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from idrw.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The history of the airfields in Manipur and the Second World War is inextricably linked. If it weren’t for the several airfields built in northeast India by the British, the unprecedented Japanese offensive in 1944 would have altered our history. Of the nine
airfields in Manipur, the Imphal Main was the British bulwark against the Japanese siege of Manipur during the Battle of Imphal/Kohima. Today, it is a key part of Manipuri collective memory. Which is why when the Manipur state government took a series of steps recently to acquire the old airfield at Koirengei from the Ministry of Defence, it raised both hope and dread.