It is one of the fastest emerging villages of the Lamshang sub-division.
The average high temperature in Kanglatongbi is 24.3°C (75.7°F) and an average low-temperature of 6.3°C (43.4°F), January is the coldest month in Kanglatongbi.
Kanglatongbi is known for one of the fiercest battles of world war II, which was challenged by the Ordnance personnel of 221 Advance Ordnance Depot (AOD) between 6-7th April 1944 when the 15th Division of Japanese troops encompassed Imphal from the north to capture Imphal and the encircling areas.
Likewise, known as the “Normandy of the East”.
Burma (Myanmar) in 1942 was seized by the Japanese Army after defeating the Commonwealth troops and established their strategic strength in Burma appropriating it as the “war-base” for the ‘attack’ on Imphal and Assam to contain the Chinese air forces across the Himalayas.
At Kanglatongbi, a little yet settled positions of the 221 AOD corps set up hardened impediments against the propelling Japanese powers.
The situation of 221 AOD was not in any demeanor note from a strategic perspective and was exposed to the adversary from all sides and needed to depend on its soldier intrepidity for its defense.
After the annihilation in Burma, the British armed force had withdrawn to Imphal in India since it was the most expedient route from Burma.
The British fortified the military foundation at Imphal by framing the 23rd Indian Division positioned in Manipur and new air-runways were developed.
The commonwealth armed forces were also augmented with enough armies and air force units, thereby making their primary healthcare, the general hospital utilitarian in late 1944.
Considering Imphal’s quintessential significance, the Japanese powers launched an attack in Manipur in the spring of 1944.
They began bombarding Imphal, cut off a piece of the highway interface among Imphal-Dimapur road, and continued attacking over Imphal for more than a quarter of a year.
The fourteenth Army of the Commonwealth Forces battled furiously and copious difficulties of the Japanese powers were caused.
The attack of Imphal was lifted in the late spring of 1944, with the tough battle ending up on June 22, 1944, when British and Indian soldiers from Kohima and Imphal met at Milestone 109.
For the Japanese armed forces, the prestige over Imphal, in the “wicked fields” was pricey concerning difficulties as almost 50,000 of their troopers losing their lives.
It is deemed that during the Second World War, the number of deaths in Kohima and Imphal capitals in India, was about 65,000 Japanese soldiers while the British had lost 17,000 armies slaughtered, and injured, while the Allies endured 12,603 losses.
Significance of the Battle of Kanglatongbi
On their failed mission to demolish the Allied powers at Imphal and attack India, the Japanese were crushed once more into Burma confronting hefty misfortunes.
The fight was additionally a part of the South-East Asian Theater of World War II.
Lt. Gen. Renya Mutaguchi had sacked the commanders of his divisions’ during the fight and consequently, he and Lt. Gen. Musaku Kawabe was dismissed of command subsequently.
The Battle of Kanglatongbi is one such battle faced during the battle of Imphal which shook the Japanese to retreat after losing thousands of their own.
It has always been the biggest defeat in Japanese history with many of the Japanese soldiers losing life from starvation, disease, and exhaustion suffered during their departure.
It is viewed as perhaps the most tumultuous skirmish of World War II resulting in the Japanese forces withdrawing.
Kanglatongbi is located at 24.9666° N, 93.8808° E in the extreme part of Eastern India, with an eminence of 2600 ft. above sea level.
The climatic condition is humid subtropical with dry, cool winter days and moderate hot monsoon season.
Temperatures in the summer average about 24 to 26°C to down 6.3°C (43.4°F) in the winter. The month of January is the coldest.
The village receives about 1, 290 (51 in) of rain, June is the wettest month.
It is surrounded by two rivers, the Kanglatongbi river to the east near Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Makhan, Senapati district, and Sekmai river to the west of the village.
Imphal city lies to the north, connected through Imphal-Dimapur national highway no. 2 and Kanglatongbi war-memorial on the south.
The village follows the civic administration of the city which is under Imphal Municipal Corporation, with its foremost district headquarters in Lamphelpat, Imphal, and sub-division in Lamshang.
The Gram Panchayat acts as the cabinet of the village.
Kanglatongbi is further subdivided into six wards and each ward is represented by respective members. The ward members are elected by the villagers.
The Panchayat is chaired by the president and vice-president of the village, known as Pradhan and Oopa-Pradhan.
The term of the elected delegates is of five years. Every five years, a general election takes place in the village. Villagers over the age of 21 can participate to vote.
The village strictly promotes women empowerment and reserves one-third of the seats for women candidates as well as scheduled castes and tribes.
Before the 2021 General Census, the total population of the village is 7152 people. Among them, 52% are female, and 48% are male.
The bulk of the population is from the general caste, 8% from the Scheduled caste and scheduled tribes.
However, the child population of Kanglatongbi village is 13% under the age of 6-10 years.
There are about 1600 houses in the village of Kanglatongbi.
The population has drastically increased by 65.3% between 2001 to 2011, with the reasonableness of a high accretion in the 2021 census of India.
The female sex ratio as per the former census is 1083 females per 1000 males in the village.
The sex ratio in schedule caste is 1375, higher than the schedule tribe and the general caste at 1079 and 1115 respectively.
On the other hand, the child sex ratio has decreased by 21 girls per 1000 boys further.
Kanglatongbi village constitutes of six wards:
Each ward is directed by its ward member, they work hand-in-hand with the Pradhan and oopa-Pradhan to maintain and promote the village’s welfare, development, socio-economic enrichment, cultural and safety arrangements.
Additionally, the Pradhans and the ward members are also accountable for any sort of issues- reimbursement, thereby intensifying peace at all levels in the village.
Apart from the panchayat system, there is another kind of inner-village unit called the women society, a form of ensemble-driven by the women residents of the village who act to restrain, moderate, and resist any form of brutality in and throughout the society.
There are several youth unions, an alliance of the young generation fellows, to treasure, preserve, and assist society by encouraging education, sports, and public safety.
The majority of the people living in the Kanglatongbi area are the Indian Gorkhas (also Gurkhas) who converse in Nepali, Hindi, Manipuri, and other local dialects.
One-third of the population speaks Nagamese, Kuki, Bhojpuri, and English.
The main religions are Hinduism and Christianity. 50% of the population are Hindus and the other 40% are Christians whereas the 10% are other inherited religions inhabited by the people of mixed-race.
Kanglatongbi is a diverse community, where individuals of distinctive ethnicity, religion, race, language, and beliefs bring a common interest, experience, and knowledge for the peace and welfare of the village.
The primary source of income is Agriculture. The majority of the villagers are farmers, small and medium business owners, and teachers.
There has been rapid progress in many of the young generation and millennials to join the armed forces of India and that adds up to 1/4th of the population serving in the Indian Army and Para-military forces.