Photo Courtesy: morungexpress
Kohima: A World War II aircraft propeller, believed to have belonged to a downed Japanese warplane, remains a cherished historical relic in Mungya village, Nagaland. Residents have preserved the artifact for decades, maintaining a rich oral history surrounding its origin at a crash site known as Ekhokju.
The discovery dates back to when the late Khontsemo Ezung, a student at the time, stumbled upon the wreckage while bird hunting. Mhonbemo Ngullie, the village Head GB, recounted that Ezung alerted his peers after finding the crash site. A small group of villagers trekked to the area to salvage what remained, though other components had already been removed by scavengers.
Facing a lack of modern transportation, the villagers manually carried the heavy propeller on foot back to Mungya. Because the community lacked a formal bell, the propeller was installed at the church. It served this functional role for many years, becoming an essential piece of local community life.
Today, the propeller serves as a tangible connection to the wartime era. Reflecting on the effort to secure the piece, Ngullie noted that of the small group who retrieved the relic, "only one person is still alive today." The artifact remains on display in Mungya as a testament to the village history and the ingenuity of its residents.
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