How Manipur’s border village Jessami became a wildlife tourism hotspot

Imphal: In recent years, Manipur’s Jessami village, a lesser-known region in Northeast India, has been reshaping the concept of tourism with its unique offerings of wartime history, diverse wildlife conservation efforts, and stunning biodiversity.

Home to the Chakhesang people, predominantly of Naga heritage, this quaint village, which borders Nagaland, is situated in the extreme north of Manipur’s Ukhrul district. It lies approximately 116 km north of Ukhrul town and 135 km east of Kohima, Nagaland, near the Myanmar border.

Once regarded as a hunting ground for wildlife, Jessami villagers are now thriving as conservationists by implementing Indigenous knowledge and traditions for both wildlife and natural heritage. Despite a lack of proper infrastructure and limited knowledge, visitors widely appreciate the residents’ remarkable resilience and dedication to protecting and maintaining the health and balance of ecosystems.

According to Asset Wezah, secretary of Jessami Village Council (JVC), nearly 300 visitors from across the globe visit the village annually, mostly for birding (wildlife tourism), war memorial tourism, and cultural tourism, especially during festivals.

Besides visitors from India, there are also tourists from Belgium, the Netherlands, England, and Japan who visit Jessami, said Wezah.

The increasing number of visitors to this border village reflects Jessami’s growing influence and its appeal as a destination where nature and history meet, attracting history enthusiasts, bird watchers, and eco-tourists.

According to Dr Weyepe N. Mekrisuh, a geologist and Jessami native, the community is identifying some bright spots in the village to bank on the available resources and bring conscious tourism for economic sustainability.

“Some of these bright spots include battlefield tourism, eco-tourism, wildlife tourism, cultural tourism, agro-tourism, etc.,” said Dr. Mekrisuh, while stressing the importance of the collective effort of the community to make it into reality.

The Nongin (Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant) Conserve Community

The Jessami Mrs Hume’s Pheasant Community Conservation Area was established in 2024 on the principle of community-led conservation, emphasising local stewardship, cultural heritage, and sustainable coexistence with nature. This is the only conservation in the world where Nongin (Mrs Hume’s Pheasant), the state bird of Manipur, can roost and breed under the care and protection of the village community.

The Jessami Village Council (JVC) plays a crucial role in managing the conservation with the primary objective of safeguarding the rapidly declining population of the indigenous and exquisite Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant, while simultaneously nurturing its natural habitat. Through this initiative, the Jessami locals have set an exemplary step and a wake-up call for other villages to join the green and eco-friendly mission.

According to Dr Mekrisuh, the architect of the conservation, the initiative draws inspiration from traditional ecological knowledge and practices while keeping in mind the importance of ancestral sustainability practices and the need to balance them with modern challenges.

This approach empowers the local community to take direct responsibility for conservation, transforming former hunters into protectors and wildlife guides, he said.

Dr Mekrisuh also informed that the conservation’s establishment was a collaborative effort involving the Jessami Village Council, conservationists, photographers, and organisations like ENFOGAL. This collective approach ensures a holistic strategy for protecting the endangered Mrs Hume’s Pheasant, locally known as “Tsara” in the Chakhesang dialect.

“In essence, the Jessami Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant Community Conservation Area exemplifies how community-driven initiatives, rooted in cultural values and traditional knowledge, can play a pivotal role in wildlife conservation,” he said.

One of the biggest contributions to the eco-tourism accomplishments comes from those hunters-turned-spotters who are now fully immersed in spotting the birds—not to kill, but to identify them, to protect and conserve them for future generations. At present, six former hunters are engaged as spotters for the Nongin Reserve, and by spotting the rare birds, they earn their livelihood.

“Years of hunting and killing, and observing the birds nearby in their natural habitat have equipped these hunters with the knowledge and insights into the behaviours, food habits, and roosting places of the Nongin, which prefer to stay out of sight,” said Dr. Mekrisuh.

Today, the tireless efforts and vision of the local conservationists and community leaders have transformed this lesser-known region into a wildlife haven, attracting wildlife enthusiasts and birdwatchers from across the globe.

Some of the rare and endemic birds found in the forests of Jessami include Mrs Hume’s Pheasant, Moustached Laughingthrush, the elusive Chinese Francolin, Yellow-throated Laughingthrush, Pale-footed Bush Warbler, Chestnut Bunting, Burmese Shrike, Brown-capped Laughingthrush, Striped Laughingthrush, Rufous-vented Laughingthrush, Crimson Sunbird, Hodgson’s Frogmouth, Clouded Leopard, Wild Dog (Dhole), Spot-breasted Laughingthrush, Sultan Tit, and Grey-headed Parakeet.

Wildlife photographers from far and wide who thronged this historic Jessami village often took great pride and were honoured to have spotted and captured these rare birds through their lenses.

39-Hour Walk from Jessami to Kohima

Jessami village also houses significant historical sites, including the Jessami War Memorial and remnants of the Jessami battle site. The World War II battlefields in Jessami have become a popular destination for battlefield tourism. In recent years, Jessami has experienced a surge of visitors, including European tourists, interested in exploring the battlefield and learning its history.

The Battle of Jessami took place in 1944 between the 1st Assam Regiment of the Allied Forces and the 31st Division of Japanese soldiers. During this battle, the Japanese soldiers were met with fierce resistance from the 1st Assam Regiment (Indian and British), a newly raised regiment led by Lieutenant Colonel William Felix Brown. Despite being heavily outnumbered and inexperienced, these young soldiers displayed remarkable resistance, buying critical time for the Allies to prepare defences at Kohima—a major turning point in the WWII eastern campaign.

Since last year, a commemorative 39-hour walk from Jessami to Kohima has been organised annually on the eve of WWII on April 1 to honour the battle’s anniversary and to recreate the historic journey of the British Allied Forces, who bravely escaped the Japanese Forces’ aggressive attack in 1944. During this walk, World War II enthusiasts, especially from Europe, converge at Jessami to embark on a remarkable 39-hour walk. The 124-km walk from Jessami village to Kohima by family members of the Allied forces and battlefield enthusiasts is a testament to the regiment’s endurance and bravery.

During the visit to Jessami, the war memorial enthusiasts also witness artefacts from the war era and learn about the village’s role during World War II.

According to Charlotte Carty, the granddaughter of Lt. Col. Brown and the person behind the walk, the main objective of the walk was to honour and remember the achievements of all those forces involved, including the Assam Regiment and her grandfather, as well as the Japanese and the Naga civilians who were vital to the campaign.

“I am extremely fortunate to have the privilege of coming here and doing something where my grandfather was involved. That’s just a tiny scene from which hopefully much more has grown. The more you hear about the battle, the more respect you have for those who have fought and the civilians who were put in the middle. What they all had to go through—the loyalty for the cause, the physical demands they had to go through, and the horror of war. We have been very fortunate since 1945, and it is easy to forget the sacrifices that had to be made sometimes. We hope that we don’t ever have to make that sacrifice again, and we must not forget how precious peace is, and we should do everything we can to try to maintain and remember those in the past,” said Carty to EastMojo.

Last year, Carty and 26 others from the United Kingdom embarked on the 39-hour walk from Jessami, crossing the Naga Hills and jungles to commemorate and remember all those soldiers of the Allies and the Japanese army, as well as the Nagas who helped them in the war.

This year, another endurance trek was initiated with nine participants from Europe and 12 other Naga trail walkers recreating the historic journey of the British Allied Forces, who bravely escaped the Japanese Forces’ aggressive attack in 1944.

Challenges Faced by Locals

Despite Jessami village gaining recognition as a battlefield tourism destination in Manipur, locals continue to face various challenges due to a lack of proper infrastructure and access to information.

According to Wezah, the secretary of Jessami Village Council, though the village was the site of a significant WWII battle, the information gathered from grandparents is minimal. This is because when World War II came, all the villagers hid themselves in their fields since their homes and properties were burnt down or bombed, he said.

Moreover, due to poor infrastructure facilities for lodging and food, they faced many challenges when receiving large numbers of visitors. However, they are slowly sorting one issue at a time and improving day by day, and hopefully, all these hurdles will be overcome after a certain period, he maintained.

Boosting the Local Economy

The village has seen a rise in tourism, with visitors from various countries exploring Jessami’s unique blend of history, culture, and nature.

The new wave of tourists flocking from across the globe to explore and delve into exquisite, authentic local experiences has boosted Jessami’s economy by creating various job opportunities for tour guides, drivers, cooks, and cultural performers.

According to Dr Mekrisuh, eco-tourism has created new roles for women in homestays, handicrafts, food businesses, and cultural activities. It also offers positive engagement for young people, reducing migration to cities and unemployment.

Moreover, when the villagers see that protecting forests and wildlife brings visitors (and income), they are more motivated to conserve nature, he added.

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