Imphal: In a moment steeped in sorrow, solidarity, and quiet hope, BJP leader and Thanlon MLA Vungzagin Valte was airlifted from Imphal to Delhi on Sunday evening for advanced medical treatment, as Manipur collectively paused to pray for his recovery.
Valte, a Kuki-Zo legislator from Thanlon Assembly Constituency in Churachandpur district, has been living through the long shadow of violence since May 2023. On the second day of the ethnic unrest that erupted on May 3, he was brutally assaulted by a mob at Nagamapal in Imphal—an attack that left him critically injured and fighting for his life.
What followed has been a relentless journey of pain, endurance, and survival. Airlifted initially to Delhi in an air ambulance, Valte underwent treatment at multiple hospitals before returning to Churachandpur, where he continued his slow and arduous recovery. In recent days, however, his condition worsened once again.
Officials said his health deteriorated on Saturday, prompting an emergency rush to Churachandpur Medical College Hospital, where he was admitted to the ICU for stabilisation. Through the night, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh personally monitored Valte’s condition, arranging an advanced life-support ambulance and dispatching a team of doctors from Imphal around midnight. Doctors from Imphal remained in constant touch with the Churachandpur medical team through tele-conferencing, coordinating every step in a race against time.
With Valte’s condition remaining critical through the night, the Chief Minister swiftly arranged an air ambulance for evacuation to the national capital. As signs of improvement emerged on Sunday afternoon, Valte was shifted from the Churachandpur Medical College Hospital around 3:00 pm, accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of the district.
Along the Imphal–Churachandpur road, at Phougakchao Ikhai village, the journey took on a deeply symbolic tone. Two BJP legislators—Tongbram Robindro Singh, MLA from Thanga, and Sanasam Premchandra Singh, MLA from Kumbi—both Meiteis, received and escorted Valte alongside his family and security personnel. In a state still scarred by division, the moment stood out as a rare and powerful gesture of solidarity.
At Imphal Airport, emotion hung heavy in the air. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh personally received Valte at 4:20 pm. He interacted with the MLA’s family members, offering words of comfort and strength. Speaking softly but firmly, the Chief Minister told him, “Pu Valte, please come back after you have fully recovered. I will wait for your return.”
At around 4:30 pm, as the air ambulance finally lifted off toward Delhi, tears, folded hands, and silent prayers followed it into the sky.
Valte will now undergo treatment at Medanta – The Medicity Hospital in Gurugram, officials confirmed.
As Manipur continues to grapple with the deep wounds left by months of violence, Vungzagin Valte’s fragile journey remains a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict—and a quiet testament to the enduring hope for healing, compassion, and reconciliation.
