Manipur CM attends MLA’s funeral, first trip to Churachandpur since conflict

2 min readGuwahatiJul 4, 2026 12:31 PM IST

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday visited Churachandpur district to attend the funeral of Zomi MLA Vungzagin Valte.

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday visited Churachandpur district to attend the funeral of Zomi MLA Vungzagin Valte, marking the first chief ministerial visit to the Kuki-Zo majority area since the ongoing conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities started in May 2023.

Valte, 63, was a BJP leader, former minister, and three-time MLA representing the Thanlon constituency, one of the 10 Kuki-Zomi MLAs in the state. His final rites are being held over four months after he died in a hospital in Gurgaon on February 21 this year. Singh arrived at Churachandpur by a chopper and travelled to Valte’s family home.

Valte was an advisor to former chief minister N Biren Singh when he was attacked in the state capital on May 4, 2023, a day after violence erupted in the state. The attack left him with multiple fractures. He required ventilator support and a titanium plate in his face to make his jaw work. He never recovered from his injuries.

Once his body was brought back to Churachandpur, his family and the Zomi Council—the Churachandpur-based apex body representing eight tribes under the Zomi umbrella—decided to put the final rites on hold and move his remains to the morgue in Churachandpur Medical College. His body had remained there ever since.

Decision to conduct last rites for personal reasons

Among their demands was a probe by a central agency into his assault, in which no further arrests were made. The Council had also demanded “time-bound engagement by the Government of India” on the larger demand by Zo groups for a separate administrative structure, distinct from the Imphal-based state government.

A Zomi Council leader told The Indian Express that the decision to lay Valte to rest on Saturday was taken in line with the wishes of the family. “It is for personal reasons. His wife is quite unwell, and his body, remaining unburied, will affect her psychologically. That is the main reason,” the leader said.

Sukrita Baruah is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Guwahati. From this strategic hub, she provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of India's North East, a region characterized by its complex ethnic diversity, geopolitical significance, and unique developmental challenges.

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