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| The gate to the Kangla |
Imphal, Nov. 22: Barely 48 hours after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh handed Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh the key to the historical Kangla Fort, the massive gate was opened to welcome the first batch of visitors into what has been described as the ?soul of Manipur?.
The 200-odd visitors, mostly residents of Imphal town, seemed to be in awe of the surroundings as they went about exploring what lay behind the once-impregnable gate.
The fort, a military base for as many as 113 years, is spread across 236.62 acres and located in the heart of the town. Meitei legend has it that the Kangla is the centre of the earth.
?It is early days yet. The number of visitors will increase manifold in the next few days,? a state government official said.
Before the handover, no civilian could enter the fort without prior permission from the Assam Rifles authorities. ?I have always wanted to come here. When I entered the fort, it was like a dream come true. I am very happy to see the insides of our ancient seat of power,? said 24-year-old M. Manichandra Singh.
His sentiments were echoed by a young woman. ?One of my dreams has been realised. I feel proud to be here and would love to come back,? she said.
Though the Prime Minister symbolically handed over the fort to the people of Manipur on Saturday, the main entrance on the western side of the fort had ?The Assam Rifles? signboard till yesterday afternoon. A group of painters engaged by the state government altered it to ?The Kangla?.
The Ibobi Singh government has already issued the Kangla Fort Ordinance, preventing allotment of plots or lease of land within the huge campus to any individual, organisation or trust.
A 10-member board has been constituted to oversee the maintenance of the fort. The chief minister is the chairperson of the board, while the art and culture minister is its vice-chairperson. The members include legislators, civil and police officials, and an archaeologist and an expert on cultural history.
India Reserve Battalion personnel have replaced Assam Rifles troops the sentry points. Official sources said entry into the fort could be restricted till the government drew up a list of rules and regulations.
Security personnel yesterday rounded up about 10 youths, all suspected drug addicts, from within the fort. They had apparently sneaked into the campus unnoticed.