Imphal: Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh touched down in Churachandpur by helicopter on Saturday. He attended the funeral of former Thanlon MLA Vungzagin Valte at the Dorcas Veng residence. Heavy security shielded the visit. Protests gripped the district throughout the day.
Khemchand made the trip despite calls from Kuki-Zomi groups to stay away until the ethnic conflict finds a resolution. Local residents and well-wishers met him at the site. The Chief Minister arrived with BJP MLA Tongbram Robindro Singh to pay his respects to a man he called a close friend.
Valte was attacked early in the Manipur conflict on May 4, 2023. Khemchand expressed personal anguish over the timing of that event. "My deepest regret is that if I had been with him that afternoon, the incident would never have happened," the Chief Minister said. He also detailed how he urged former Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen to avoid travel during the height of the mob violence.
The Chief Minister left soon after the service to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah via video call. He insisted that dialogue is the only way to heal Manipur. When asked for a roadmap to peace, he simply suggested that goodwill is the primary requirement. Other officials, including MLAs Chinlunthang, Letzamang Haokip, and V. Hangkhanlian, attended the service. The funeral concluded at the YPA New Lamka Cemetery. Valte leaves behind his wife and three children.
Comments