IMPHAL, July 5 -- Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, under tight security, landed in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district on Saturday and attended the funeral of former BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte, a victim of the ethnic violence in the state, despite a boycott call by several Kuki civil bodies. The visit marked the chief minister's first trip to Churachandpur since ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities erupted on May 3, 2023. Valte (61), a legislator and minister from the Zomi community in the previous BJP government headed by N Biren Singh, had sustained critical injuries in a mob attack in Imphal on May 4, 2023. Confined to a wheelchair after the assault, he died at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on February 21 after nearly three years of treatment. Valte, who represented Thanlon assembly constituency, was among the 10 Kuki-Zo legislators demanding a separate administration following the outbreak of the Manipur conflict. He had also served as an adviser to former chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh. The attack on Valte, which took place just hours after the first clashes broke out between the Meiteis and Kukis, came to symbolise the collapse of law and order in the state, as violence spread across Manipur, overwhelming the security apparatus and eventually leading to the fall of the government. His family and Kuki-Zo organisations had refused to cremate him for months, alleging that the police had failed to arrest anyone in connection with the attack. "The family has finally decided to cremate him because the MLA's wife is unwell and she wished for her husband to be laid to rest. For all these months, the body was kept in the mortuary because police have not arrested anyone for his murder," a member of Valte's family, who requested anonymity, said. Valte's mortal remains had been kept at the mortuary of Churachandpur district hospital since February. Ahead of the chief minister's visit, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex Kuki civil body, said in a statement on Saturday that "ground realities in these areas remain highly sensitive and volatile, with underlying tensions yet to be meaningfully addressed or resolved", and cautioned Khemchand Singh against visiting Churachandpur. Churachandpur, a Kuki-Zo-majority district, was where the Manipur violence first erupted before spreading to other parts of the state on May 3, 2023. In a separate joint statement, six Kuki civil society organisations - Kuki Inpi Churachandpur (KIC), Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) Churachandpur, Kuki Women Union (KWU), Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR), Kuki Khanglai Lawmpi (KKL) and Kuki Chiefs' Association (KCA) - said: "The KCSOs Churachandpur would like to make it clear that until and unless there is a solution to the ongoing 'Kuki-Zo-Meitei conflict' we would not allow any Meitei individual, officials or group in our district be it the Chief Minister." The statement added: "We boycott the proposed visit of Y Khemchand, Chief Minister of Manipur, Churachandpur tomorrow, and further any untoward incident arising out of his visit will solely be his responsibility." Despite the boycott call and road blockades at some places in Churachandpur district, Khemchand Singh, accompanied by BJP MLA Th Robindro, travelled by helicopter and landed at the helipad of the 5 Assam Rifles headquarters in Churachandpur. The chief minister later travelled under heavy security to Valte's residence at Dorcas Veng in Churachandpur, where he attended the funeral. Speaking at the funeral service, Khemchand Singh described the late Thanlon MLA as "a very calm person" and recalled their close association since 2017, when he first became the Speaker of the Manipur Assembly. He reflected on the May 4, 2023 attack on Valte, saying, "My deepest regret is that on that particular afternoon, if I were with him, that incident would not have taken place." "Today, I came here for a short visit to pay my last respects to my friend Pu Valte. To be able to attend it is a huge honour for me. Valte's family is like my family. His friends and close ones are my friends too. I will always extend any support to all of them when or if the need arises," he added. Later, while speaking to reporters at Valte's residence, the chief minister said dialogue was the only way forward to restore peace in Manipur and stressed that lasting peace was essential for the state's overall development. Asked about the roadmap to peace in Manipur, Khemchand Singh replied, "Your smile is the way for peace," responding to the manner in which the question had been asked with a smile. Valte was later laid to rest at the cemetery of the Young Paite Association at Dorcas Veng, Churachandpur....