Guwahati: Manipur’s Meitei community set aside their differences with the Kuki group, which has divided the state, and called for unity in welcoming the bodies of two air hostesses who died in a recent Air India plane crash in Hyderabad.
However, Kuki leaders have expressed safety concerns and rejected the idea of receiving one victim’s body through Imphal, the Meitei-majority capital.
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Both victims, Nganthoi K Sharma, a Meitei woman, and Lamnunthiem Singson, a Kuki-Zo woman, hail from Manipur. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from runway 23 in Hyderabad, killing several passengers, including the two women.
Nganthoi’s family awaits her body’s arrival in Imphal, while Singson’s family is exploring alternate routes due to fears related to traveling through Imphal.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent Meitei civil society group, urged all communities to come together, emphasizing that “both daughters belong to Manipur.” COCOMI’s convener appealed to everyone to cooperate fully in mourning the loss.
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Manipur Chief Secretary PK Singh confirmed that authorities have made arrangements to ensure the dignified and safe transport of both bodies to their families.
A senior police officer suggested that if Singson’s body passes through Imphal, it could symbolize reconciliation. Meitei groups have responded positively to this proposal.
However, Kuki leaders remain cautious. K Shongreng of the Kuki Students’ Organisation, supporting Singson’s family, said, “Imphal is not safe for our people.”
Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson for the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, called the idea “a show of optics” and warned that traveling through Imphal poses “risks” to Kuki lives.
Despite these differing perspectives, the tragic deaths of Nganthoi and Singson have created a rare, though fragile, moment of solidarity in Manipur.