Imphal :  Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Tuesday visited the residence of late MLA Vungzagin Valte in Churachandpur district to pay his last respects, as the state observed mourning for the departed legislator.

The Governor laid a wreath and offered a ceremonial shawl in honour of the mortal remains. He met members of the bereaved family and conveyed his heartfelt condolences, praying for eternal peace for the departed soul and strength for the family to endure the loss.

Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh also paid homage during the visit, marking a solemn moment of tribute amid heightened emotions in the district.

Valte, 61, represented the Thanlon constituency in Churachandpur district and was associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His passing has reignited grief and anger among sections of the tribal community, nearly three years after he was brutally assaulted during the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023.

He had been airlifted to the National Capital Region for advanced medical treatment after his condition deteriorated in recent weeks. According to sources, he succumbed to complications linked to injuries sustained in the earlier attack.

Valte was reportedly assaulted by a mob in Imphal in May 2023 while returning from a meeting with the then Chief Minister at the height of the unrest.

The violence in Manipur erupted on May 3, 2023, following protests by tribal groups against a recommendation by the Manipur High Court to consider granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community.

Tribal organisations had expressed concern that such a move would dilute constitutional safeguards relating to reservations in jobs, education and legislative representation, and potentially open up protected hill lands to non-tribal ownership.

What followed were months of intense ethnic clashes between Meitei groups in the Imphal Valley and Kuki-Zo tribal communities in the hill districts. The conflict claimed around 260 lives and displaced more than 60,000 people, largely from tribal areas. Thousands of homes, churches and other institutions were destroyed.

A buffer zone continues to separate the Meitei-majority valley from tribal-dominated hill areas, underscoring the deep mistrust that lingers.

The Manipur government has declared three days of state mourning in honour of the late legislator. The national flag is being flown at half-mast on government buildings as a mark of respect.

Valte’s death is being viewed by several tribal bodies as a stark reminder of the insecurity faced by members of the Kuki-Zo community during the peak of the violence, even as efforts continue toward reconciliation and restoration of normalcy in the state.