In an unusual display of solidarity, the Manipuris have put aside traditional ethnic rivalries to weep for the untimely deaths of two young women — Lamnunthiem Singson, a Kuki-Zo, and Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailakpam, a Meitei — who were among the 10-member cabin staff that made up the ill-fated Air India crew that perished in the Air India plane crash at Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The tragic accident took the lives of 241 people, including the two women from Manipur. Their demise has united the Kuki and Meitei people as years of conflict have never managed to do.
Since Thursday afternoon, when news of the accident emerged, families, friends, and well-wishers in Manipur started conducting prayers for the two cabin staff. Their death has hit a hard place amid the over two years of ethnic strife.
“Manipur people as a whole are heartbroken, disregarding community lines. Our state has been polarised for more than two years along ethnic lines. Unfortunately, in their demise, the sky angels united the two communities and left us with a stark reminder of how valuable human lives are and how we should live in peace, as we have done for centuries,” a Delhi-based Meitei Heritage Society spokesperson said.
DNA Testing Underway to Identify Victims of Air India Crash
On Friday, relatives of Nganthoi rushed to Ahmedabad to provide DNA samples for identification after authorities requested her cousin, N Khenjita, to travel. Family members of Lamnunthiem Singson are also in the city for the same process.
“In their passing, they have become angels of the sky, reminding us of the preciousness of human life and the urgent need for peace,” the spokesperson added.
Emotional Tributes Flow In
Words of sadness have poured out on social media sites. One ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) user posted, “In life, they came from conflict-divided communities, and in death, they remind us that, at the end of it all, we are all equal.”
Manipur Congress chief Lamtinthang Haokip shared condolences, tweeting, “May their souls rest in peace,” and also former chief minister N Biren Singh.
“From the heart, it’s painful to inform that two Manipuri young cabin crew members, Kongrabailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Lamnunthem Singson, were among the victims of today’s crash of the Air India plane in Ahmedabad,” he tweeted on ‘X’.
“They were both very much alive, working with dedication and pride. Their untimely death is a tragic loss to their families, their friends, and to us all back home,” he continued.
Civil Society Reacts with Candlelight Demonstrations and Solidarity
The Delhi Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) has planned a candlelight procession to pay tribute to all victims of the crash. They also committed complete solidarity to the mourning families, particularly to Singson, who was the only breadwinner in her family.
Singson’s family, displaced by ethnic strife, now live in a rented house in Kangpokpi. After her untimely death, they are left with an uncertain future.
Though the tragedy has created a vacuum in the lives of countless people, it has also acted as a strong unifying reminder of common humanity and the need for healing in Manipur immediately. Amidst unimaginable loss, communities are uniting to remember the lives of two young women who, in death, have become emblematic of peace and unity.