Family members of indigenous Christian legislator Vungzagin Valte have refused to bury his body, demanding a federal probe into his death and a separate district for the Zomi tribal community in violence-hit Manipur.
Valte, 61, a three-time lawmaker representing Thanlon constituency and a prominent Zomi leader, died in a New Delhi hospital on Feb. 21 after remaining hospitalized for nearly three years. He had suffered severe injuries in a mob attack on May 4, 2023, during the ethnic conflict between the Hindu-majority Meitei and predominantly Christian tribal groups. His driver was killed in the assault.
The conflict, which began in May 2023, has claimed more than 260 lives, displaced over 60,000 people, and damaged hundreds of homes, schools, and places of worship.
Family members and community leaders have demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency and the creation of a separate administrative district for the Zomi tribe before proceeding with burial rites. The body has been kept at a government hospital morgue in Churachandpur district.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum criticized authorities for failing to make arrests in the 2023 attack and reiterated its call for a separate administration for Kuki-Zo tribal groups. However, some Church leaders cautioned that delaying the burial could further inflame tensions in the fragile state, where security forces continue patrols amid fears of renewed violence.
