A famous cemetery, holding memories of World War II, lies neglected in Kohima.

The cemetery in the picturesque Garrison hill in the heart of the city, is one of the few exisiting testimonies to the hundreds of valiant British and Indian soldiers, who made supreme sacrifice thwarting the Japanese invasion. Though the cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, locals complainted that it was neglected by the authorities. Most of the youngsters in the state feel a little more care has to be given to the gentle hill and the serpentine road lined up with an army of flower plants as it is one of the best tourist attractions in the state.

"This is a nice place for us to relax. It is made in memory of our grandfathers. And this is the only place in Kohima, where we can relax. So, we need to pay more attention to such places where we can relax and have peace," said Davis, a student of Kohima College. A few others were miffed at the fixed timings for visiting the memorial.

"This is the same place where soldiers killed in the Second World War have been buried. Though it is maintained properly, some more seating arrangements should be made and more and more people should be allowed to visit the place in the evening also," Mithun, another college student, said.

Around 1405 soldiers were buried in this cemetery in which 1,100 were Britons and five Canadians.

There is also an Indian Cremation Memorial for the 900 Indian soldiers, who were cremated.

On each grave, there are beauitiful epitaphs, engraved in bronze. However, some of the tombs do not have any names.

Kohima is a town 4,500 feet above sea level in the Naga Hills in the northeastern region. It is the farthest point reached by the Japanese in their attempt to invade India in 1944.

On Garrison hills, a small group of Indian abd British soldiers resisted the powerful Japanese force's repeated attacks and eventually drove them off.

Around 200 people visit the cemetery every day.(ANI)

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