Kohima: Eighty years after gunfire faded from the hills of Kohima, the past rolled back into view, this time in the name of peace. Vintage wartime jeeps, relics that once rattled through real battlefields, led the World War II Peace Rally at the Hornbill Festival on Tuesday, turning history into a living, roaring spectacle.
As Nagaland hosts its 26th edition of the Hornbill Festival, drawing thousands of visitors from across the country and beyond, 27 Willys jeeps, with participants clad in uniforms, rallied for peace from Dimapur to Kisama via Kohima.
For former Nagaland DGP T. John Longkumer, who took part in the World War II Peace Rally, the event carried a story worth retelling—one of valour, courage and sacrifice. “But a story wouldn’t be there if there was no history. Without history, without a story, there would be no people, there would be no nations. So therefore, I speak about the Battle of Kohima,” he said.
He noted that British military historians have described the 1944 battle as “one of the greatest battles won by the British Empire.”
The rally team, comprising a total of 27 Willys Jeeps, started off from Dimapur and symbolically retraced the route of the Allied relief columns that once moved from the airfield and base at Dimapur towards Kohima. “So today at 7 AM, we marched off. Then we landed up at the Garrison Hill—the war cemetery, that iconic place in Kohima. We paid our solemn homage and laid the wreath to those fallen soldiers,” he informed.
“Their” War
The Battle of Kohima began on April 4, 1944, when Japanese forces launched a major attack on key defensive positions along “The Ridge,” a strategic area controlling access to Kohima. The Japanese, who had marched rapidly across difficult terrain from the Chindwin River, heavily outnumbered the defending forces: the 14th Army command and the Royal West Kents, a battalion of the 161 Brigade.
Over the next ten days, the British and Indian forces were pushed back to a small perimeter around Garrison Hill. Despite intense attacks, the garrison held out for 13 days with artillery support from Jotsoma and air-dropped supplies.
Meanwhile, Japanese troops moved past Kohima and blocked the Dimapur road at Zubza, where they were met by the British 2nd Division, newly arrived from its bases in Western India. The Japanese suffered their first defeat at Zubza on April 14, and by April 18, the British were able to break through and relieve the besieged Kohima garrison.
The second phase of the battle (April 18–June 10) involved British and Indian troops attempting to recapture The Ridge and surrounding areas through a three-pronged attack: from the north, where the Japanese had occupied Kohima village and Meirema village without resistance; in the centre, to recapture The Ridge; and from the southwest (along Mount Puliebadze).
By mid-May, Allied forces had recaptured key positions including Norfolk Ridge, GPT Ridge, Congress Hill, The Pimple (north of where the Japfu Hotel now stands), and Jail Hill (now PHQ).
On May 31, Japanese commanders ordered a retreat. By June 10, Kohima was no longer a combat zone, although heavy fighting continued elsewhere before the road to Imphal fully reopened.
The Kohima War Cemetery now stands as the most prominent memorial to the battle, commemorating 2,338 British and Indian soldiers who died. Many more Japanese soldiers died, and although they have no marked graves, a memorial on the hillside above Jotsoma—the furthest point of their advance—stands in tribute to their courage.
A renowned Naga female author was once quoted saying, “It was the War that was not ours. Our people were caught in a conflict between two foreign nations who fought on our lands. But our people were profoundly affected by it. The world of the Nagas was opened up to the wider world with a violence they could not have possibly imagined.”
Rally for Peace
According to Longkumer, the rally’s origins can be traced back to the vision of Nagaland Chief Minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio. “In 2011, he conceived this brilliant idea—that the history of Kohima, of Nagaland, should never be forgotten. And what better way than a World War II Peace Rally where we Nagas can shout to the world that we want to live in peace and harmony with all peoples and all nations,” he said.
Reflecting on the war’s devastation, Longkumer said that World War II brought destruction, pain and sorrow to the Nagas, but it also opened the eyes of the Naga people to the world. Because of this awakening, he said, the Naga people now stand today as a democratic state, as free people enjoying the wonderful Hornbill Festival—the Festival of Festivals.
He shared that this year’s rally began with 27 vehicles, all of which completed the journey despite breakdowns and overheated engines. “Six of these vehicles are from the World War-II era. They have seen action. They were shot at, bombed, they survived. They carried soldiers into the Battle of Kohima and brought relief from Dimapur,” he said.
Longkumer thanked the Nagaland Adventure & Motor Sports Association (NAMSA) for organising the event and the Nagaland Flat Fenders Club for preserving these vehicles, calling them “heritage on wheels.”
He credited Dr. Rio for challenging and inspiring the club since its early years. “Our club has grown from around 14 to 27 heritage vehicles. And next year, we will return in even larger numbers—an army that comes to Kisama in the name of peace.”
As Longkumer addressed the visitors attending Hornbill from across India and abroad, he said, “When you go home, please spread the message we wish to share—that there must be peace and harmony in the world.”
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said the Second World War Peace Rally has now been a tradition for 14 years, serving as a living reminder of the state’s past and its commitment to peace.
“This rally helps us remember our history. It symbolises the era, the Willys jeeps, the weapons, the British and Allied forces, and the Japanese forces who fought a fierce battle in Kohima,” Rio said.
The CM noted that the rally brings back both good and painful memories, adding, “It is a celebration of our history. Although it was not our war, it affected the Naga people deeply.”
He emphasised that the rally is also an act of paying homage to the soldiers who fought, suffered and died. The rally, he said, is important as it reaffirms the shared commitment to live in peace.
The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction that the Commonwealth Graves Commission and British dignitaries continue to observe Remembrance Day globally. “I cannot forget Remembrance Day, November 11, as it coincides with my birthday,” Rio said with a smile.
He recalled that thousands of soldiers from different nations died in the Battle of Kohima, and many remain unidentified. Rio also highlighted the continuing efforts of Japanese agencies since the early 1970s.
Japanese teams, he said, have mapped the battlefield, used instruments to locate remains and dug up common graves. “I have seen with my own eyes—in 1974, in my father-in-law’s garden—they dug up and collected bones. Even today, not all remains have been recovered,” the CM said.
Japan, he added, has also been contributing to Nagaland’s development. Through JICA, Japan has supported the construction of a 400-bedded hospital attached to the Kohima Medical College, and Japanese nurses and doctors will work alongside Naga professionals. Japanese language courses in Nagaland University are funded by the Japanese government. Private companies like Toyota and Hyundai have also been offering training and language instruction to help youths seek employment in Japan.
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He recalled working with the Japanese Ambassador in Delhi to erect a stone of friendship between Japan and the Nagas. The State Government has also erected memorial stones for unknown soldiers—Allied and Japanese—at the Kohima Peace Memorial, reinforcing the message that “this is no time for war, but a time for peace.”
Rio noted the recent inauguration of the Eco Park complex opposite Kohima Cultural Hall. Located along the Kohima Ridge, a continuation of Garrison Hill, it displays materials of the British, Allied and Japanese forces, as well as Naga artefacts.
He encouraged visitors and guides to show the Peace Memorial and Eco Park alongside the war cemetery. “It doesn’t sound good to take tourists to a cemetery,” he said, “but it is important because it is historical.”
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