Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday visited Churachandpur by helicopter to pay his last respects to former BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte, despite strong opposition from several Kuki civil society organisations and the militant outfit United Kuki National Army (UKNA).

The Chief Minister attended the funeral of the three-time MLA from Thanlon constituency and offered floral tributes as Valte was laid to rest in his native district. The visit marked the first time a Manipur Chief Minister had entered the Kuki-Zo-majority district since ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities erupted in May 2023.

Addressing mourners, Singh described Valte as one of his closest friends and expressed deep regret over the attack on the former legislator on May 4, 2023.

“Pu Valte was a very calm person. When I first became Speaker in 2017, he was one of my best friends. On May 4, we were together discussing how to control the violence. I left for my meal while he stayed back. My deepest regret is that if I had been with him that evening, the incident would never have taken place,” the Chief Minister said.

He also recalled persuading Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen not to return to Kangpokpi on May 3, 2023, due to the deteriorating security situation, describing the period as “one of the most regrettable days” of his life.

Calling Valte’s family “like my family”, Singh assured them of his continued support.

Valte was critically injured in an attack near the Manipur Secretariat in Imphal on May 4, 2023, during the early days of the ethnic conflict. He remained under medical care for more than three years before passing away in New Delhi on February 20, 2026. His mortal remains were brought to Lamka on February 24 but had remained in cold storage as community leaders demanded justice and accountability over the attack.

The Chief Minister’s visit came amid heightened tension in Churachandpur. Hundreds of Kuki protesters demonstrated against the visit, while a shutdown called by the UKNA disrupted normal life across the district. Markets remained shut, vehicles stayed off the roads, and protesters blocked sections of Tedim Road near Kaprang.

Security was further tightened after unidentified armed miscreants reportedly fired several rounds into the air near Jalengphai on Friday night.

Earlier, six Kuki civil society organisations, including Kuki Inpi Churachandpur, Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Kuki Women Union, Kuki Chiefs’ Association (KCA), Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) and Kuki Khanglai Lawmpi (KKL), had jointly announced a boycott of the Chief Minister’s visit, insisting that no Meitei leader or official should enter the district until a political resolution to the ongoing ethnic conflict is reached.

The visit is being seen as a significant political development as Manipur continues to grapple with deep divisions between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities more than three years after the violence began.