Manipur MLA Valte’s final rites on hold amid separate administration demand
Family members of the late MLA are also understood to be in consultation with civil society organisations
At the Tuivai river bridge, community leaders & supporters formally received the cortege on Thursday
Churachandpur/Imphal, Feb 26: Five days after Manipur BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte passed away at a private hospital in Gurugram, his mortal remains continue to be kept at the Churachandpur district morgue, as tribal bodies have indicated that the burial will not take place immediately amid renewed political demands.
An official confirmed on Thursday that Valte’s body was shifted to the district morgue on Wednesday afternoon. An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted.
A functionary of a Zomi civil organisation said that even if the post-mortem is completed, the burial is unlikely to take place immediately.
“In view of the recent developments, our demand for separate administration remains key before anything proceeds further. Meetings will be held with frontal civil bodies to decide the next course of action,” the functionary said.
Several tribal organisations held a candlelight vigil in Churachandpur district on Wednesday night, reiterating their demand for a Union Territory with legislature for the hill areas following the MLA’s death.
Demonstrators raised slogans seeking justice and demanded that the probe into the May 4, 2023 attack on Valte be handed over to the CBI or the NIA.
The 56-Thanlon legislator’s mortal remains were airlifted to Mizoram on February 22 and later brought to his residence in Churachandpur district on February 24.
Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla paid his last respects by laying a wreath and draping the body with a traditional shawl at the residence.
Meanwhile, the Zomi Council, the apex body of the Zomi tribe in the district, stated that it would determine the course of action regarding the burial.
Family members of the late MLA are also understood to be in consultation with civil society organisations.
The delay in conducting the final rites has added a fresh political dimension to the situation, with tribal groups linking the funeral to broader demands for separate administration and a credible investigation into the 2023 attack that left the senior legislator critically injured.