Manipur MLA Survives Brutal Assault in 2023, Calls for Ethnic Unity

Synopsis

Manipur MLA Vungzagin Valte, who suffered a brutal attack in 2023, has returned to Mizoram after medical treatment in Delhi. He emphasizes unity among the Zo community to combat the ethnic crisis in Manipur while criticizing former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.

Key Takeaways

Vungzagin Valte was brutally assaulted on May 4, 2023.
He is calling for unity among the Zo community.
Valte received minimal financial support during his recovery.
The attack has highlighted ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur.
The Kuki-Zo Council demands a separate administrative entity for tribal areas.

Imphal, April 9 (NationPress) Manipur MLA Vungzagin Valte, who was savagely attacked and seemingly abandoned by his assailants on May 4, 2023, in Imphal, has arrived in the capital of Mizoram, Aizawl, following an extensive medical recovery in Delhi. He is set to return to his home state via helicopter.

A tribal leader linked to Valte indicated that the MLA avoided Imphal for safety reasons and traveled to Aizawl from the national capital. Valte, a current Manipur BJP MLA, received a formal welcome at Lengpui Airport from Mizoram MLA Ginzalal, who serves as adviser (Technical) to Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma.

The influential Mizo Students’ Organisation hosted a warm welcome event at the airport to show support and solidarity for the respected leader.

The tribal leader emphasized the need for unity among the Zo ethnic community, stating, “As we are all descendants of the Zo community, we must unite and collectively address the ongoing ethnic turmoil in Manipur.”

Valte, representing the Thanlon constituency, one of the six assembly constituencies in the tribal-populated Churachandpur district, accused former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, claiming that “he has consistently been opposed to the Zo community since the beginning.”

The 61-year-old tribal legislator was assaulted on May 4, 2023, in Imphal, shortly after attending a meeting with the former Chief Minister. The attack resulted in multiple injuries and partial paralysis, necessitating his urgent transfer to Delhi for comprehensive medical care.

“Valte’s driver was killed during the violent incident on May 4, 2023, and he was brutally attacked and left for dead by the assailants in the capital city,” the tribal leader remarked.

The banker-turned-politician Valte expressed that he received minimal financial support from the Manipur government during his lengthy medical treatment in Delhi, despite the seriousness of his injuries.

Ginza Vualzong, a notable leader of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a key organization for tribals in Manipur, stated on Wednesday that Vungzagin Valte serves as a living testament to the cruelty faced by the Meitei community.

“He was viciously tortured and left to die post his meeting with N. Biren Singh,” Vualzong remarked.

The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a coalition of 13 organizations representing the Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal communities in Manipur, along with several other tribal organizations and 10 tribal MLAs including Vungzagin Valte, have been advocating for a separate administrative entity equivalent to a Union Territory for the regions dominated by the Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal population.