Manipur chief minister O. Ibobi Singh offers tribute at the Khongjom War Memorial site. A file picture

New Delhi, June 8: A hundred and seventeen years after the last Manipuri soldier fell to British guns on Khongjom hillock, the government has decided that this piece of history deserves a place in the state’s tourist brochures.

Just 44km from Imphal, Khongjom has a war memorial at the site where nearly 400 soldiers of King Kullachandra fought the last battle to save Manipur, a princely state then, but were no match for the heavy cannons of the British army.

Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh recently wrote to the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) asking it to send a team of engineers to develop the area for tourists.

Manipur, in fact, observes Khongjom Day on April 23 every year to pay tribute to the heroes who laid down their lives in the war.

In 1972, the year Manipur was granted statehood, then President V.V. Giri laid the foundation of the Khongjom War Memorial.

The ITDC, however, is going beyond redeveloping cemeteries and is planning wholesome changes in the hospitality sector of the region as a whole — from creating rural development facilities in Noney, Khongjom and Andro in Manipur to revamping the Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok in Guwahati into a real star quality.

All the rooms of the hotel have been upgraded along the lines of the Ashok in Delhi.

“We have also been approached by the Mizoram government to open a new hotel in a mega mall, Millennium City Centre,” a senior ITDC official said.

“The government has offered to give us four floors on the top of this centre.”

ITDC — in an effort to grab the opportunity — has written to the government assuring them support.

The state government now only needs to come up with half the investment to open up a spanking new hotel.

Not the only new starred hotel on the horizons, ITDC has also been commissioned by Manipur to upgrade Hotel Imphal.

And all these projects will be finished by March next year.

While the ministry of tourism has decided to encourage travel to the Northeast, senior officials have consciously decided to keep the area five-star free.

“It is better not to spoil it by bringing in private players,” said a senior official in the ministry.

“We have found that people just want clean facilities in this region. They don’t go there for luxury,” he added.