Lamka, Feb 23, 2026: The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) has expressed profound grief over the demise of Vungzagin Valte, MLA of 56-Thanlon Assembly Constituency, and renewed its demand for a Separate Administration in the form of a Union Territory with legislature for the Kuki-Zo people.
In a press release issued on February 23, 2026, the Forum stated that Pu Vungzagin Valte succumbed to the brutal injuries he sustained on May 4, 2023. On that day, after meeting the then Chief Minister of Manipur, N. Biren Singh, he was allegedly assaulted by a mob while seeking safe passage for his people. The ITLF said he was left to die on the roadside, while his driver, Pu Thanghoulal Zou, was killed on the spot. After nearly three years of suffering, the MLA breathed his last on February 21, 2026.
The Forum described his death as a painful testimony to the atrocities endured by the Kuki-Zo community. It stated that the killing of the MLA and the loss of over 200 Kuki-Zo lives reflect systematic violence, displacement and destruction. According to the statement, villages were burnt, homes and churches destroyed, and innocent civilians forced to flee from areas where they had lived for generations. It also expressed concern that no arrests have been made so far in connection with the attack on the MLA.
Citing continued insecurity, the ITLF reiterated that the demand for a Separate Administration is not a political ambition but a matter of survival, dignity and constitutional rights. It appealed to the Government of India to initiate an immediate and honourable political settlement ensuring safety, justice and self-administration for the Kuki-Zo people.
The Forum further informed that Pu Vungzagin Valte will be laid to rest on February 24, 2026. It urged the public to cooperate with the funeral arrangements and maintain peace and solemnity during the proceedings.
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