Along Longchar
The recent incident of stealing seventeen bronze plaques from the Kohima War Cemetery (July 20 The Morung Express) is indeed a sad reminder of how the people do not care about public property, leave about the respect for the fallen heroes who fought in the Second World War and died “for a cause”. Forget the shame of the Naga people for their disrespect for the fallen heroes or about the abject disregard for dead soldier who lost their lives in the world war; the most important question is how such thing like stealing the bronze plaques happen in a place like the War Cemetery in Kohima, which is not only the pride of the state but also a standing example of the fight of the people against Fascism and Nazism.
It not only shows lack of understanding on the part of the public or the government or the people as whole, but also reflects the overall indifferent attitude of the public with regard to public property.
The notion that the Naga public do not care about public property is not unknown, and public property is the least of the concern for the people. As per media report an FIR has already been lodged in the police station in Kohima and surely the police would do its part in nabbing the culprits involved in vandalism and theft. However the question remains whether it would be enough or not. The report about truant students staying in the cemetery from morning till dusk is a matter of grave concern not only for the cemetery officials but also for the parents and the school authorities. It won’t be a surprise if the culprits are these students who play truant in school and indulge in these anti social activities. It equally won’t be a surprise if the culprits are those petty criminals looking for some easy money and who won’t think twice of robbing the heroes of the great wars. There is every possibility. But the question is not only about nabbing the culprits but also about checking a recurrence of such shameful incidents in the future.
It would be good, if the police could deploy some plain clothed personnel, keep a tap on the habitual visitors of the area, keep a complete vigil of the cemetery and nab those people indulging in vandalising the war heritage.
Besides, it would be good for the war cemetery officials to keep a strict timing for visitors to the cemetery and strictly prohibit the entry of students in school uniforms unless they are authorised by the school authority or accompanied by a teacher in charge. It would also be good to restrict the entry into the war cemetery by ways of issuing entry coupons and make a restricted time limit to stay in the area. Of course, people might think that such a restriction is an infringement on their personal rights; however we must remember that the Kohima War Cemetery does not belong to anyone but to those brave souls who lost their lives in the Great War who deserves to rest in peace in their own world of quietness.
It would be good it the area is made into a complete restricted area, with no entry for unofficial visitors and those entering the area without permission be persecuted under certain provisions of the law. Those war heroes who lost their lives in the Tennis Court in Kohima have a right to rest in peace, just like they gave their live in the fight against Fascism and Nazism, and those brave hearts have a right to be respected whether they are Britishers, Indians or Japanese. They were soldiers and they are heroes who would be forever remembered in the world history. The Naga society also should have some honour and give due respect to those who died in a foreign land not by their choice but for their belief in their principles.
It is indeed shameful that thieves can stoop so low as to steal from the war cemetery, and it is more shameful on the part of the Naga society that we cannot save the war cemetery and show respect to these shameful thieves by protecting the bronze plaques. It is time we woke up, and thieves who do not care for the dead, does not deserve to live at all. We don’t need to condemn the thieves, for condemnation would do no good at all; we don’t need to take out a protest rally or do thing which we do when a crime take place. Let’s just empower the police and let them nab the vandals, and when the police do get hold of the thieves red-handed, let the society simply allow the ‘due course of law take place’. And I am sure the fallen heroes of the Second World War whose spirits are resting in the famous Tennis Court would really rest in peace.
