KOHIMA: India President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday visited Kigwema, a traditional Angami Naga village in Nagaland's Kohima district, and held an interaction with women from self-help groups (SHGs).

Kigwema, 15 kilometers from Kohima, is one of the biggest Angami villages, inhabited by nearly 7,500 people. The Kigwema Village Council (KVC) honoured the President during her visit by presenting her with customary presents and having the women's group perform a traditional song. Along with the local organic produce, the SHGs of the village coordinated by the Rural Development Department also demonstrated the traditional processes of shawl weaving and yarn winding.

President Murmu and her daughter Itishree Murmu were accompanied by Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, governor of Assam and Nagaland, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Minister for Planning and Coordination, Land Revenue, and Parliamentary Affairs, and local MLA and Advisor for Technical Education and Elections, Medo Yhokha.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio emphasised the significance of the town by pointing out that the Japfu range contains a sizable virgin forest and the second-highest mountain peak in the state.

The Battle of Kohima was fought here by Japanese soldiers stationed here during the Second World War, making Kigwema one of the larger settlements with historical value, said the Chief Minister.

In the Battle of Kohima, which began on April 4, 1944, the British and Indian soldiers fought against the Japanese advance. The fact that the Japanese were defeated created the framework for their retreat.

Although the community is bordered by rugged terrain, it has a gradual slope that makes it ideal for farming. He claimed that Kigwema is where rice and vegetables are farmed.

He said that the community received the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar in 2021 for being the greatest village.

The Kigwema village council expressed gratitude to the President for visiting the place and have a glimpse of Naga tradition.
Chairman of KVC Balie Kere welcomed the President and asked him to take the initiative to turn a playground between the village and the military base at Zakhama into a facility of national stature.

The playground is shared by the villagers and army personnel. When former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam visited this region in 2002,  the locals asked him to take the initiative to convert National Highway-2 to a four-lane highway,  Kere said. The KVC chairman pleaded with the President for her help in making it happen.

The exhibits were seen by President Murmu after the reception, capping off her two-day first visit to the state. She then headed for Mizoram.

President Murmu visited the Kohima War Cemetery before travelling to Kigwema and left a wreath in memory of the heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice while doing their duties in and around Kohima during the Second World War.

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