President visits Angami traditional village and Kohima War Cemetery in Nagaland

0

Kohima, November 3: President Draupadi Murmu on Thursday visited Kigwema, a traditional village of the Angami Naga community in the Kohima district of Nagaland, and interacted with members of women self-help groups (SHGs) .

Kigwema, 15 km from here, is one of the largest Angami villages, inhabited by around 7,500 people.

During her visit, the Kigwema Village Council (KVC) honored the chairperson with traditional gifts while members of the women’s group performed a folk song.

Village SHGs under the coordination of the Rural Development Department also demonstrated the traditional process of shawl weaving and yarn winding, in addition to village organic products.

Assam and Nagaland Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Minister for Planning and Coordination, Land Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs Neiba Kronu, and local MP and Councilor for the technical education and elections, Medo Yhokha accompanied President Murmu and her daughter Itishree Murmu.

Highlighting the importance of the village, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said the Japfu Range in the region has huge virgin forest and also the second highest mountain peak in the state.

“Kigwema is one of the big villages and has historical significance because Japanese soldiers were stationed here during World War II and fought the Battle of Kohima,” Rio said.

British and Indian troops fought against the Japanese offensive in the Battle of Kohima which began on April 4, 1944. The Japanese were defeated, laying the groundwork for a Japanese retreat.

Although surrounded by steep terrain, the village has a gentle slope which makes it suitable for farming. Paddy and vegetables are grown in Kigwema, he said.

The village, he said, won the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar as the best village in 2021, he said.

The Kigwema Village Council expressed their gratitude to the President for visiting the area and gaining insight into the Naga tradition.

Welcoming the president, KVC President Balie Kere asked the president to take the initiative to transform a playground located between the Zakhama military station and the village into a national-level facility.

The playground is shared by villagers and army personnel.

Kere said that in 2002, when former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam visited this area, locals asked him to take the initiative to turn National Highway 2 into a four-lane highway. .

The KVC chairman urged the president for his intervention so that it materializes.

After the reception, President Murmu witnessed the exhibits and left for Mizoram, completing her first two-day visit to the state.

Before traveling to Kigwema, President Murmu visited the Kohima War Cemetery and laid a wreath for fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty in Kohima and surrounding areas during the Second World War.

Share.

Comments are closed.