Asem Bhakta, Special Correspondent North East
Imphal: (Waari Singbul Network) In a tragic turn of events amid the unceasing ethnic violence in Manipur, Charubala, the wife of former Saikul MLA Yumthong Haokip, succumbed to injuries sustained in an accidental bomb blast. The incident has cast a shadow of grief over both Meitei and Kuki communities, briefly uniting them in sorrow.
Charubala, along with her two daughters and husband, was cleaning the campus of their new home in Ekou Mulam, about six kilometers from Saikhul Police Station in Kangpokpi district, on Saturday evening when a bomb suddenly exploded, leaving her critically injured.
Despite the ongoing conflict that restricts movement between Meitei and Kuki areas, members from both communities came together to rush Charubala to Saikhul Primary Health Center. As her condition worsened, she was transferred to Shija Hospital in Imphal, with assistance from neutral parties. However, the 59-year-old succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, leaving behind both communities in mourning.
The motive behind the bomb blast remains unclear, though police investigations are ongoing. Ex-MLA Haokip has urged the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice, acknowledging that there were existing land disputes that could have been a factor.
The police have completed Charubala’s postmortem, allowing the family to proceed with her last rites. In her death, Charubala inadvertently bridged the divide between the warring Meitei and Kuki, if only for a moment, reminding all of the shared humanity that persists even in the darkest times.
