Two daughters, one tragedy: Manipur's ethnic rift shadows Air India crash victims

Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, a Meitei from Thoubal and Namlunthem Singson, a Kuki-Zo from Imphal’s Old Lambulane, were among the victims when the London-bound flight crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12. (File image)

The grieving families of two young women from Manipur, killed in the Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad, face an agonising wait - not just for their daughters’ remains, but also over how to bring them home amid the state’s bitter ethnic divide.

Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, a Meitei from Thoubal and Namlunthem Singson, a Kuki-Zo from Imphal’s Old Lambulane, were among the victims when the London-bound flight crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12. While authorities work to identify and repatriate their bodies, Manipur’s deep-seated tensions have spilled into the process, with safety concerns and political undercurrents complicating what should be a moment of collective mourning.

According to News18, for the first time since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent Meitei pressure group, has called for cooperation in ensuring a dignified return for both women. In a public statement, COCOMI urged civil society and youth groups to support efforts to receive the bodies at Imphal Airport, stressing that “both daughters belong to Manipur.”

Khuraijam Athouba, COCOMI’s convener, was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying: “We have appealed to all sections of society to extend full cooperation. The entire state is united in mourning their untimely loss.”

The gesture has been cautiously welcomed by some as a rare outreach in a conflict that has claimed over 260 lives and displaced 50,000. However, Kuki groups remain sceptical. Ginza Vualzong, spokesman for the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), dismissed the offer as “a show of optics,” telling News18 that entering Meitei-majority Imphal remains a “risk to lives.”

While Nganthoi’s family expects her remains to arrive in Imphal, Singson’s relatives are likely to bypass the state capital entirely. Sources close to the family say her body may be flown to Dimapur in Nagaland and transported by road to Kangpokpi, a Kuki stronghold, to avoid Meitei-controlled areas.

The Manipur government has assured security for the family if they choose Imphal Airport, with Chief Secretary PK Singh stating that “necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that their names are treated with the highest dignity and respect and subsequently transported safely to their respective homes.” A senior police officer told HT that allowing Singson’s body to pass through Imphal could send a “message of peace,” with Meitei groups reportedly responding “positively.”

Yet, Kuki leaders remain unconvinced. “Going to Imphal is not safe,” said K Shongreng of the Kuki Students’ Organisation, which is assisting the family. “We all know what has happened to our people there,” Shongreng was quoted as saying by HT.

In Ahmedabad, Nganthoi’s father, Sandesh Kumar Sharma, told News18: “We still haven’t found my daughter’s body in Ahmedabad. The search is ongoing and we don’t know when we will get confirmation. But if the body of that Kuki girl also comes via Imphal, why should we have a problem?"

Meanwhile, Singson’s uncle, Hahao Haipi, was quoted by HT as saying that the family would decide once authorities confirm repatriation plans. “Her mother stays with us in Kangpokpi now,” he added. “We will issue a statement once we receive word from Ahmedabad.”