Manipur, which has been facing communal tensions between Kuki and Meitei commuities since 2023, has united to mourn the deaths of one Kuki and one Meitei young woman, who were among the ten cabin crew members onboard the London-bound Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
21-year-old Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam was from Thoubal district and 28-year-old Lamnunthem Singson had been displaced from Imphal by the ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023 and was living in the Kuki-dominated hill district of Kangpokpi. Nganthoi had joined Air India in April 2023 at the age of 19. Civil society groups across Manipur expressed condolences at the deaths.
“We [the Kuki and Meitei communities] don’t talk at home, but my daughter and [Lamnunthem Singson] worked together like friends in other states.I pray that the souls of both girls are at peace. I saw on the news that the Kuki family is also praying, just like us,” Nganthoi's father, Nandesh Kumar Sharma was quoted saying by Scroll.
"It is heartbreaking to share that two young cabin crew members from Manipur, Kongrabailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Lamnunthem Singson, were among those who lost their lives in today’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad. Both were full of life, serving with dedication and pride. Their sudden passing is a huge loss for their families, friends, and for all of us back home. May their souls rest in peace and may their loved ones find the strength to get through this unimaginable pain," Manipur's former CM N Biren Singh said on X.
There were 230 passengers, 2 pilots and 10 crew members onboard, only one passenger miraculously survived the crash.
