Guwahati: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday visited Churachandpur under unprecedented security arrangements to attend the funeral of BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte, defying a shutdown call and boycott by several Kuki-Zo civil society organisations.
The Chief Minister arrived at the 5 Assam Rifles headquarters in Churachandpur amid heavy security deployment after authorities intensified surveillance across the district in anticipation of protests. His visit came despite calls from multiple Kuki organisations declaring that he was “not welcome” in the district and urging him to stay away from the funeral.
Ahead of the Chief Minister’s arrival, protesters erected road barricades using tyres, logs and benches at several locations, including the Kaprang area, while markets remained shut and vehicular movement was disrupted as part of the shutdown. Security personnel were deployed in large numbers to prevent any untoward incident and ensure the Chief Minister’s safe passage.
Vungzagin Valte, a three-time BJP legislator from Thanlon Assembly constituency, succumbed in February this year to complications arising from injuries he sustained during a brutal mob assault in Imphal on May 4, 2023, in the early days of the ethnic violence that engulfed Manipur.
After undergoing prolonged treatment, including at a hospital in Gurugram, Valte passed away on February 20. His last rites were held more than four months later following consultations between community organisations and his family.
The Chief Minister’s visit carried significant political weight as it marked one of his first visits to Churachandpur since assuming office earlier this year and came at a time when relations between the state government and sections of the Kuki-Zo community remain strained.
Several Kuki civil society organisations had opposed the visit, maintaining that meaningful confidence-building measures and justice for victims of the ethnic conflict should precede any political outreach to the hill district. Despite the opposition, the Chief Minister attended the funeral amid tight security, with authorities maintaining a high level of alert throughout the district.