Manipur remembers man who won Tawang

GUWAHATI: The 25th death anniversary of the legendary Major Ralengnao 'Bob' Khathing was observed at Valley View, Mantripukhri, Imphal, on Monday. He is better known as the first person to plant the tricolour in Tawang.

Major Khathing was born on February 28, 1912, in a tribal home in Ukhrul, Manipur. After a vibrant career in the Army and the civil services, he retired as the country's ambassador to Burma (1972-75).

Defence PRO Lt Col S Newton said, as a young King's Commission Officer of the Indian Army during WWII, he was Commissioner to the 19th Hyderabad Regiment (which became the Kumaon Regiment), but was deployed to 'V' force Ops as Local Captain, Manipur Sector, to operate behind enemy lines along the Burma Front. Amongst the many gallantry awards he received, the Member of the British Empire and the Military Cross are some of the most significant.

After the War and on the express desire of the Maharaja of Manipur, Major Khathing resigned from the Army to join the interim government of Manipur as minister in charge of Hills Administration. In 1948, in the first election of the state, he was elected to the state assembly from the Sadar constituency and was made minister (Hills Administration & Manipur Rifles). However, the assembly was dissolved when Manipur joined the Indian Union in October, 1949.

In 1950, Khathing became assistant commandant of 2 Bn. Assam Rifles and was posted at Sadiya. During the Assam earthquake, he was actively involved in relief work. The same year, he was appointed assistant political officer of the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA). On being posted to Sela sub-agency, he was assigned the unfinished task of securing administrative control up to the McMahon Line. Taking two platoons of 5 Assam Rifles, he trekked all the way to Tawang and, for the first time, planted the tricolour in Tawang, thereby establishing Indian administrative control over the town and Bumla area on the McMahon Line.