Manipur’s ethnic fault lines remain raw as the Zomi Council demands the Centre accelerate the CBI probe into the brutal attack that claimed BJP MLA Vungzagin Valté’s life. The Churachandpur-based council’s memorandum to Amit Shah exposes deep-seated grievances over investigative delays plaguing the hill tribes.
Three years on from the May 2023 violence in Imphal, where Valté was ambushed post a meeting with CM N. Biren Singh, justice remains elusive. The MLA, a beacon for Zomi, Kuki, Mizo, and Hmar communities from Thanlon, succumbed to injuries in Gurugram on February 21 after months of treatment.
‘Political apathy and systemic bias against hill tribes are evident in this inaction,’ asserts the council’s note, co-signed by leaders Wumsuan Naulak and Paunehlal. They decry the absence of timely prosecution or decisive action against perpetrators.
Beyond the probe, the body seeks robust steps for tribal political empowerment, including safeguards for autonomy in the state’s volatile landscape. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s recent homage and CM Singh’s earlier tribute highlight official acknowledgment, yet fail to mask the community’s impatience.
Valté’s ordeal began with gunshot wounds causing paralysis; his driver’s death compounded the tragedy. Transferred from Imphal to a private Gurugram facility via air ambulance, his fight ended abruptly, leaving a void in tribal representation.
This renewed push arrives amid Manipur’s fragile peace, where ethnic divides continue to fuel unrest. The council’s voice amplifies calls for equitable justice, warning that delays risk escalating inter-community rifts.