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Tens of thousands of soldiers were killed fighting for the cities of Imphal and Kohima, with the Allied victory a major turning point in the Asia campaign that was voted as Britain's greatest battle by the National Army Museum of London in April last year.
Diplomats from Britain, Australia and the US made speeches Friday and laid wreaths on the first day of the two-day ceremony in Imphal, capital of Manipur state.
"It was very moving. It's very important to remember the sacrifice thousands of men made," Scott Furssedonn-Wood, British deputy high commissioner for eastern India, told AFP by phone.
"When you stand at a grave of hundreds of men who sacrificed their lives, it helps you relate better to an epic battle that changed world history."
In 1942, Japanese forces routed the British in Burma (now Myanmar), which brought them to India's eastern border from where the attack was launched.
The British and Indian forces, under the command of Lieutenant-General William Slim, drove back the invasion at a cost of 17,500 lives. Japan lost 30,000 men, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Many historians feel that the battles in India have been overlooked, partly because the Allied invasion of occupied Europe known as D-Day took place while they were still being fought.
"It's being forgotten. Even I didn't know about the battle until my grandfather told me that he had to attend the service today," said local Kakai Singsit, whose 91-year-old grandfather Mehkhosong fought in Kohima.
"If this memorial didn't happen today, many youths, including myself, would not know about the battle," 29-year-old Singsit told AFP by phone.
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Diplomats from Britain, Australia and the US made speeches Friday and laid wreaths on the first day of the two-day ceremony in Imphal, capital of Manipur state.
"It was very moving. It's very important to remember the sacrifice thousands of men made," Scott Furssedonn-Wood, British deputy high commissioner for eastern India, told AFP by phone.
"When you stand at a grave of hundreds of men who sacrificed their lives, it helps you relate better to an epic battle that changed world history."
In 1942, Japanese forces routed the British in Burma (now Myanmar), which brought them to India's eastern border from where the attack was launched.
The British and Indian forces, under the command of Lieutenant-General William Slim, drove back the invasion at a cost of 17,500 lives. Japan lost 30,000 men, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Many historians feel that the battles in India have been overlooked, partly because the Allied invasion of occupied Europe known as D-Day took place while they were still being fought.
"It's being forgotten. Even I didn't know about the battle until my grandfather told me that he had to attend the service today," said local Kakai Singsit, whose 91-year-old grandfather Mehkhosong fought in Kohima.
"If this memorial didn't happen today, many youths, including myself, would not know about the battle," 29-year-old Singsit told AFP by phone.
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