Is there any issue that divides nerds, conspiracy theorists, scientists, and the general public like the issue of Unidentified Flying Object (UFO)? Maybe not. Every one of us has an opinion on the subject, yet we are unlikely to arrive at a consensus.
Any observed aerial phenomenon that cannot be quickly identified or explained is referred to as an unidentified flying object (UFO). Only a small percentage of UFOs remains unexplained after inquiry, with a majority being recognised as known objects or atmospheric phenomena.
However, since we will focus on World UFO Day, we’ll be focusing on the ones, which remained unexplained till today, with special focus on Northeast India.
Sightings in Northeast
One of the most well-known conspiracy theories regarding the CIA involves the study of crashed UFOs and alien autopsy, but the spy organisation kept a careful eye on reports of flying saucer sightings over India and its neighbours.
Sikkim
Six UFO sightings were reported over Ladakh, Sikkim (then a protectorate of India), Bhutan, and Nepal in the months prior, according to a report from April 1968 that was recently shared online by the Central Intelligence Agency.
The date, local time, and precise location of the UFO encounter in the regions are all provided in the CIA report dated April 11, 1968. According to a CIA report, two flying saucers were observed in Ladakh: one on March 4 and the other on March 25, and one in Sikkim on the evening of February 19, 1968.
The Sikkim UFO was seen “flying over Lachung, Lachen, Thangu, Muguthang and Chholamu from south-east to north-west.” After seeing the object, “Chholamu heard a thunder sound.”
Arunachal Pradesh
In 2012, over 100 “Unidentified Flying Objects” (UFO) sightings have been recorded by Army forces stationed in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast.
The Army, DRDO, NTRO, and the ITBP, among other organisations, have not yet been successful in identifying these luminous flying objects.
According to army reports in New Delhi, claims of UFO sightings by an ITBP unit in Thakung near the Pangong Tso Lake were forwarded to the Army Headquarters by the 14 Corps, which oversees military deployment along the Kargil–Leh corridor and is responsible for the borders with China. The reports said these yellowish spheres appeared to rise from the Chinese side of the horizon and move slowly across the sky for three to five hours before vanishing. The authorities confirmed that these UFOs were not satellites or drones from China.
To confirm the object’s identity, the Army had also relocated a mobile ground-based radar unit and a spectrum analyser. However, these devices were unable to identify the object being followed visually, indicating it was non-metallic. Army officers voiced anxiety about the agencies’ failure to identify the device, which some speculated might be Chinese spy gear.
Manipur
Imphal, the capital of Manipur, became the subject of numerous UFO sighting reports in October 2018. Boys from a hostel for students in the Mantripukhri area of the city claim to have seen a bizarre disc-shaped object hovering in the sky. Click here to see the video.
The Center responded to the UFO sighting reports about three months after the news went viral.
According to Union Minister Jitendra Singh, “UFO reported by the general public have often been linked to aircraft activities and dynamical processes that mimic a moving object.”
He continued, “At present ISRO is unaware of detection of any UFO.”
Another incident took place in the Moirang town in Manipur where a resident of Moirang claimed that he witnessed a fast-spinning “unidentified flying object” (UFO) across the western horizon from his farm near the famous Loktak Lake. Although the incident was briefly reported in a local newspaper, it was mostly ignored.
The incident happened on June 15, 2011, at about 3:21 pm, according to Kumam Koiremba, a resident of Moirang Ngangkha Lawai, a town located around 40 kilometres from Imphal. He asserted that he saw an “unidentified flying object” that day across Salengthel hill as it descended from above the grey, rainy skies.
He claimed that after being startled by the peculiar sight, he immediately started recording the bizarre event with his phone camera.
He continued, within a fraction of a second, the rapidly rotating object started to emit a bright and dazzling light, while shacking the surroundings by the ensuing wind.
“As I was recording the spinning object in complete aghast, in about 2-3 seconds the object, the size of about 2-3 feet in diameter began approaching me. With fire-like disc around it, the object swivels towards the northwest sky and disappeared mysteriously after discharging an electrically charged beam of lights that immobile and rendered me unconscious instantly,” he described the event in complete disbelief.
After a few seconds, he regained his consciousness but the object was no more in sight.
Till today, no one knows what it was.
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