Imphal: More than four months after his death, the final rites of Manipur MLA Vungzagin Valte will take place on Saturday at his family residence in Churachandpur.
Valte, 63, a BJP leader, former minister and three‑time MLA from Thanlon, was among ten Kuki‑Zomi legislators when ethnic violence tore through Manipur in 2023. He was attacked in Imphal on May 4, 2023, while serving as an adviser to then chief minister N. Biren Singh. The assault caused multiple fractures and left him dependent on ventilator support; he succumbed to his injuries in a Gurgaon hospital on February 21 this year.
After his body was returned to Churachandpur, Valte’s relatives and the Zomi Council — the Churachandpur‑based umbrella body representing eight tribes under the Zomi grouping — decided to postpone the funeral and moved his remains to the morgue at Churachandpur Medical College. The body has remained there since, as reported by the Indian Express.
The family and the Zomi Council linked the delay to demands for a deeper probe into the 2023 attack by a central agency; no arrests have been reported in the case. The council also sought “time‑bound engagement by the Government of India” on the wider Zomi demand for an administrative arrangement separate from the Imphal‑based state government.
A Zomi Council leader said that the decision to bury Valte on Saturday was made to honour the family’s wishes.
“It is for personal reasons. His wife is quite unwell, and his body remaining unburied will affect her psychologically. That is the main reason,” said the leader.
A security official said Churachandpur authorities have been alerted that Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh might attend Valte’s funeral on Saturday. The Chief Minister’s Office, however, described the visit as unconfirmed and said a final decision will be taken on Saturday morning. Since the violence began, neither Mr. Singh nor his predecessor N. Biren Singh has gone to the Kuki‑Zomi‑majority district.
