1991 - Dimapur - Imphal - Kohima - Kaziranga Trip.

1991 - Dimapur - Imphal - Kohima - Kaziranga Trip.

THIS BLOG WAS WRITTEN BETWEEN  11 June and 08 July 2021. 

Due to ennui, god knows why intermittently just did not feel like writing in recent past.

Irrespective of the date when the map was made and the blogged, It has been published backdated, to maintain historical sequence.

These backdated blogs are written as much to record our travels and places seen all those years in the past. 

With Ajeet in engineering college and Anuj in XI standard, this blog would have been the last travel blog written to present a photographic record of the growth of Ajeet and Anuj through those early years unfortunately there are NO PHOTOS of this trip.

This is a screenshot of our Dimapur - Imphal - Kohima & KazirangaTrip. This Screenshot is just to give you an overall picture of the routes followed, the tourist's attractions we visited. But these details can not be accessed here.

Full details and descriptions about routes, the information/write up about tourists attractions visited by us, can be accessed in "interactive" google map. For an interactive map GO HERE.

NO PHOTOS.

BACKGROUND.

All these backdated trips have been blogged by serially going through the photo albums. 

That was the only way to ensure that I did not miss out on any trip due to reduced memory from ageing. 

After writing about our Darjeeling - Gangtok - Nathu La - Kalimgpong Trip from album number 10, took out album number 11. 

Album 11 Starts with our photos from Ambala. First trip was 

Yol – Manali – Kulu – Mandi - Manikaran - Simla Trip. 

Started writing about it. After writing for a few days realised that I had left Shillong and had already reached Ambala so what about the time we had gone to Dimapur, Kohima, Imphal and Kaziranga Trip?

Discussed this with Mummy and Ajeet.

 Ajeet did remember the trip, though vaguely and was not of much help.

 Mummy did remember that our camera had gone unserviceable and we had sent it for repairs. So there were no photos whatsoever and no photographic record.

We had communicated with Brig Kadam and Col Nadkarni to fix the trip details.

NOIDA - 1985 - 87.  

Col Kadam was our neighbour. He was in the Jag branch at Army HQ. I was in Air Hq. 

He also had two sons who were friends with Ajeet and Anuj. Mummy and Mrs Kadam were also friends. 

Though Col Kadam and I did not have much interaction, but because of the above-mentioned friendships, we were also sort of friends.

SECUNDERABAD - 1988.

Lt Col. Nadkarni from Infantry was my coursemate and also syndicate mate in LDMC. He was posted as GSO (I) in an infantry division in Nagaland.

SHILLONG - 1991.

No memory of the year in which we did this trip. Considering Ajeet's 12 exams etc, It is most likely that the trip was done in 1991.

I have no idea at all about how I established contact with Kadam, who had become Brigadier by then and was posted to Dimapur. The same is the case with Nadkarni, who had become full Col and was posted to Kohima.

After repeated communications finally, the trip details were finalised. 

We were to reach Dimapur under our own steam. 

Thereafter responsibility of our stay, messing, transportation and sightseeing was Kadam/ Nadkarni's baby.

Shillong.

Those days Bodo agitation was going on in Assan and every other day Bodo activists used to announce "Assam Bandh" for a day or more. Generally, the duration was from between dawn to dusk. By 1991 things had been much quieter and the agitation seemed to have died its own death. Preceding our planned trip there were no agitations for quite some time.

There were regular bus trips between Shillong and Dimapur. The bus starting in the evening from Shillong and reaching Dimapur by morning was best suited for our plans. So one fine evening we boarded a bus for Dimapur and commenced our trip.

After a night-long journey, by about 0530, reached a petrol pump around 10 to 15 kilometres on the outskirts of Dimapur.

That day ours was the first bus to reach the petrol pump. The driver parked the bus by one side in the petrol pump. Almost everyone got down. They were all talking excitedly among themselves in the local lingo. Came to know that Bodo activists, without any prior notice had announced Assam Band from 6 AM to 6 PM. Driver and conductor announced that because of the band the bus would remain at the petrol pump till 6 in the evening as that was the best place to wait during the band period. As time progressed the number of cars, trucks and buses waiting by the roadside near the petrol pump kept increasing.

I have no idea how, but I managed to contact Brig Kadam. Told him the details that we were stuck at the petrol pump till evening. He told me to stay put at that place as he would see what he could do about getting us to Dimapur before evening.

In about an hour or so we saw an LMG mounted open jeep followed by a Jonga which again was followed by another LMG mounted open jeep. The convoy stopped at the petrol pump. One JCO, unerringly approached me to enquire if I was the airforce officer coming to meet Brig Kadam.

In the meanwhile, drivers of the three vehicles had reversed their vehicles and were now facing in direction of Dimapur. The sequence of vehicles was a Jonga sandwiched between two LMG mounted open jeeps, JCO requested us to get in the Jonga. We got in the Jonga. Our luggage was kept in one of the jeeps. As soon as we were seated in the Jonga, the lead jeep started a warning siren. The silence of the morning was split apart by the screeching sound of the warning siren. The crowd which had gathered to see all this were startled by the sudden sound of the siren. Along with switching on the siren lead jeep just took off. Our Jonga and trailing jeep with LMG followed closely. 

We set a course for Dimapur in a close formation convoy. Throughout the journey from the petrol pump, through Dimapur town to Cantonment warning sirens of lead and trailing jeep was going full volume. The drivers had floored the throttles and never slowed down. Not even through town. Speed was reduced and sirens were switched off only when we had reached the guard room of the cantonment.

WOW! WHAT A TRIP IT WAS.

 This trip with our Jonga being escorted by two sirens blaring LMG fitted jeeps travelling at breakneck speed will forever be etched in our memory.

Dimapur.

We had started our trip to Nagaland from Dimapur. At that time and till writing of this blog I had never realised that then and even now, Dimapur is The gateway to Nagaland by road routes.  

We will never ever forget the way we arrived in Dimapur. Unfortunately, that is the only crystal clear memory of Dimapur. 

I no idea about the number of days we stayed. About the tourist sights, we saw I have only a vague memory of giant chess pieces carved out of huge rocks, lying around in a haphazard manner. It was said that when Pandavas has passed through Dimapur this was the place where Bhim played chess with these huge stone chess pieces. After googling around, it is now clear that what we saw was Kachari Ruins. The list of tourist attractions of Dimapur is given below 

• Triple Falls.
• Green Park.
• Diezephe Craft Village.
• Rangapahar Reserve Forest.
• Zoological Park.
• Chumukedima.
• Kachari Ruins.
• Nagaland Science Centre.
•  I am sure some of these may not have been tourist attractions then. we must have seen some of them and some may have come into the existence as tourist attractions later than 1991. 
• If interested check out
•  https://tourism.nagaland.gov.in/package-tours/ 
• and
•  https://www.holidify.com/places/dimapur/sightseeing-and-things-to-do.html
• Kohima. 
• Background.
• After Dimapur our next destination was Kohima. The capital city of Nagaland.
• During chit-chats and discussions with Brig Kamat came to know that, even though Bodo agitation in Assam was on the wane, Naga hostiles were very much active in Nagaland. Most of the units of these Naga hostiles were armed with automatic and semi-automatic weapons. These fellows often ambushed army vehicles and not only caused tremendous harassment of army personnel, occasionally causing casualty and damage to transports. Things had come to such a pass that army movements were taking place only during daytime and that too only in convoys which were under protection heavily armed escort vehicles in front and the rear and interspersed in between the convoy. Throughout the day only two convoys left from Dimapur for Kohima two convoys reached Dimapur from Kohima. One convoy left in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Afternoon convoy left at such a time that it had to reach Kohima before nightfall. Under armed escort, moving with caution these large convoys took much longer time to cover the distance. Almost three times that of a normal travel time. 
•  Similar convoy movements were organised between Kohima and Imphal.
• With limited time at our disposal, it was not possible for us to move with convoys.
• Col Nadkarni was of course in regular contact. 
• To solve the problems of our movements he had organised a jeep with civil registration and a driver in civies. 
• We came to know that in case of emergencies or when fast travel was required between destinations, the army had vehicles on its strength which had civil registration numbers, Drivers for these were also soldiers but they were in civil dress.
• On the day of departure, one such civil registered jeep reported to us. The driver told us that he has been briefed in detail about travel plans. where to take us, where to stay, which all places of attraction to be visit etc.
• On the due date, the civil registered jeep with a driver in civil dress reported at Brig Kadam's residence. We bid adieu to the lovely and hospitable family and set course for Kohima. 
• KOHIMA.
• No memories, where we stayed, which all places we saw or any other things of Kohima as such.
• What I do remember is the II World  War cemetery.
• It was beautifully maintained. Better than most of the private gardens. Each and every grave was kept spotlessly clean. The gravestones had no moss whatsoever unlike other stone slabs that are likely to gather moss in humid and heavy rainfall areas. This also indicated the care with which the graves were looked after. Each grave had its own little flower bed. During our visit, most of these had a variety of flower plants in full bloom. 
• This cemetery for Allied war dead is maintained by Commonwealth War Graves Commission. A memorial commemorates the war dead of Indian origin who were cremated as dictated by their faith. 
• The Memorial and the Cemetry lies on the slopes of the Garrison Hill area in what was once Deputy commissioners the Tennis court.
• It was at this famous "tennis court" battle in which the unstoppable advances of Japanese forces were halted and they were bested for the first time. The tennis court battle was also called the Battle under the Cherry Tree. The cherry tree was a Japanese sniper post. 
• The cherry tree was not there but we were shown where it was located.
•  With geometrical precision laid out graves in the cemetery, beautifully tended and with the individual colourful flower beds these graves of allied soldiers who had died fighting at this place during World War II presents a poignantly beautiful vista
• The serene calmness, silence, and beauty of the cemetery have left an everlasting impression and memory.   
• The epitaph carved on the memorial of the 2nd British Division in the cemetery has become world-famous as the Kohima poem
• When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
• or Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.
• After visiting and seeing all the places where we were taken by our driver we left for Imphal.
• This blog/website nicely covers 20 best tourists attractions in and around Kohima. 
• https://traveltriangle.com/blog/places-to-visit-in-kohima/  
• IMPHAL. 
• Just as at Kohima only thing I remember is the War Cemetery of Allied soldiers killed at Imphal in World War II.
• Each and every word written about Kohima War Cemetery holds true for the war cemetery at Imphal as well.
• Imphal war cemetery left just as lasting an impression as was the case with Kohima war cemetery.
• This blog/website nicely covers the 15 best tourists attractions in and around Imphal. 
• https://traveltriangle.com/blog/places-to-visit-in-imphal/
• We may have seen some of the places like Kangala Palace and Kangala Fort. Unfortunately, I have no memories of them 
• I very strongly feel that around 1991 few of the best-considered tourist attractions may not have existed as such. Lokatak Lake is an example. Loktak Lake was not at all considered a tourist attraction at all. It was just one of the lakes in the area.
•  After seeing what all the driver had to show us we set a course for the return journey to Shillong via Kaziranga.
• KAZIRANGA WILD LIFE SANCTUARY. 
• The jeep dropped at one of the hotels located on the main road. He recommended it and told us that it was quite reasonable.
• I am not quite sure but vaguely remember that the room was on the stilts. It had bamboo walls and a tetched roof. It was ok to spend the night. After making enquiries at the hotel went to the point from where the safaris started. A jeep safari was available. Tut the route covered was almost 100 150 Kms or so and extensively covered a large area. It was also too costly. Opted for an elephant safari.
• If I remember it right it lasted for about 3 - 4 hours. There was thick fog in patches. We were lucky to spot few one-horned Rhinos  An animal species for which the sanctuary is world-famous. Apparently some times the fog was so widespread visibility so poor that visited did not see any Rhino. Other times the Rhinos were far from the safari route and so again, were not seen. 
• Went back to the hotel and waited by the roadside for buses heading to Shillong. Around 4 PM , as luck would have it an Assam Rifles or Assam Police coach, not sure which, stopped nearby for a tea break.
• I went and had a chat with the person in charge. He readily agreed to give us a lift right up to Shillong.  
• Boarded the bus, looked around, empty seats were available only towards the rear. Beggers have are not choosers so went and settled down towards the rear and of the bus and so we were on our way to Shillong.
• • Our driver kept playing one particular song, continuously for almost all of 12 odd hours. It was a popular and a hit song of those days. 
  • Tried to remember without any success. Mummy also remembered, but she also could not remember the movie or the wordings of the song. However, she did remember that it was from a box-office hit of those days starring Salman Khan and Bhagyashree.
  • Googled for a movie starring Salman Khan and Bhagyashree came up with
  • Maine Pyar Kiya.
  •  From  the songs of the movie search results identified the song
  • Dil Deewana bin sajana ke mane na, yeh pagla hai samazane se mane na, 
• • Hindi movie Maine Pyar Kiya was a superhit. The song Dil Deewana bin sajana ke mane na, yeh pagla hai samazane se mane na, was even a bigger superhit. 
• • Just to take you back to that bus trip here is the video of that song. 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx1Y7h6NBpk

  • Though I had forgotten the song but never in this life I am going to forget the fact that we heard a song, over and over again, for 12 hours of the night journey between Kaziranga and Shillong.
  • How dearly I wish I could recover with similar ease the details of all those past journies.
• After getting down at Assam Police/Assam Rifles camp, thanked them profusely and took a taxi to Upper Shillong and home. 
• End of the Trip.