Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday said every possible effort had been made to prevent further violence and ensure the safety and security of the people and elected representatives, while reiterating that dialogue remains the only way to restore lasting peace in the strife-torn state.
The Chief Minister attended the funeral service of former Manipur Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and veteran tribal leader Vungzagin Valte, whose mortal remains were laid to rest in Churachandpur on Saturday, nearly 134 days after he succumbed to injuries sustained during the ethnic violence in the state.
Later, while interacting with media persons at the residence of the late legislator, Singh stressed that dialogue is the only way forward to restore peace in Manipur and said that lasting peace is essential for the state's overall development. When asked by a reporter about the roadmap for restoring peace in Manipur, the Chief Minister replied with a smile: "Your smile is the way for peace," in response to the way the question had been posed.
Singh also became the first Chief Minister to visit the Kuki-Zo tribal-dominated Churachandpur district since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023. He travelled to Churachandpur by helicopter as he had to return to Imphal later in the day to attend a virtual meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Addressing the funeral service, Singh described Valte as "a very calm person" and recalled their close association since 2017, when he had first become the Speaker of the Manipur Assembly. The Chief Minister reflected on the tragic incident of May 4, 2023, when Valte was brutally assaulted during the initial phase of the ethnic violence.
"My deepest regret is that if I had been with him that afternoon, the incident would not have taken place," Singh said. Emphasising that his visit was a personal gesture of respect, the Chief Minister said: "Today, I came here to pay my last respects to my friend Valte.
It is a great honour for me to be able to attend his funeral." "Valte's family is like my own family. His friends and well-wishers are my friends too. I will always extend every possible support to them whenever the need arises," he added.
Recalling the tense situation during the initial days of the ethnic unrest, Singh said that every possible effort had been made by the government to prevent further violence and ensure the safety and security of public representatives as well as the people.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by MLA Tongbram Robindro, offered floral tributes and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul. The mortal remains of Vungzagin Valte were laid to rest at a cemetery in Dorcas Veng village in Churachandpur district on Saturday afternoon after family members, friends and a large number of people from the Kuki and Zomi communities paid their last respects.
The 62-year-old BJP leader, who belonged to the Zomi tribal community, is survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons. His body had been kept at the Churachandpur District Hospital after it was brought from Delhi following his death at a private hospital in Gurugram on February 21.
A three-time legislator from the Thanlon Assembly constituency, Valte had undergone prolonged medical treatment in Delhi after he was brutally attacked during the ethnic violence in Imphal on May 4, 2023. Following his discharge from the hospital, he had been residing in the Kuki-Zo-dominated Churachandpur district.
However, as his health deteriorated, he was airlifted from Imphal to New Delhi on February 8 this year for advanced treatment and admitted to a private hospital in Gurugram, where he passed away on February 21. Valte was critically injured by a mob on May 4, 2023, shortly after attending a meeting with the then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in Imphal.
The assault left him with multiple grievous injuries and partial paralysis, necessitating his immediate evacuation to Delhi, where he underwent months of intensive medical treatment in an effort to save his life. His driver was also killed in the attack.