Kohima: The Nagaland Flatfenders Club descended on Viswema village this Saturday. They want to save the history of World War II. Club President T J Longkumer led the team into the Jakhama sub-division to track down survivors and chat with village elders. They aim to record the human cost of the Battle of Kohima.
Longkumer told the crowd, "The initiative aimed to document the wartime experiences of Viswema's elders so that the sacrifices and historical significance of the village could be preserved for future generations." The club members scouted locations used during the 1944 fighting to see how they hold up today.
Viswema served as a major staging ground for the Imperial Japanese Army starting in April 1944. Troops dug trenches and built bunkers throughout the area. Residents fled to nearby forests and the village of Jakhama to escape the combat. Allied artillery and air strikes pounded the area until June 14, 1944. The shelling wiped out more than 600 homes. Allied troops eventually moved in once the Japanese supply lines failed and the soldiers retreated.
Ketsokhol Kennao chaired the event. Rev Saphrüil Pucho of the Viswema Baptist Church delivered the invocation. Representatives from the Viswema Village Council joined the club to discuss the preservation work. The visit wrapped up with community leaders and club members pledging to keep the village history alive.
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