Amid violence in Manipur, 12-yr-old ran 15 km to safety

Guwahati: Born to a Kuki mother and a Meitei father, 12-year-old L Mangminmgam was oblivious about the growing tension between the two communities, and was just passionate about boxing, his favourite sport.
So, when the ethnic clashes broke out in Churachandpur on May 3 and quickly spread to Imphal the same night, Mangminmgam found all his friends leaving the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel, while his parents were hiding in their native village at Saikul in Kangpokpi district.
Separated from his parents and looters torching houses and attacking rival communities, Mangminmgam, who was stranded in Imphal since violence broke out, mustered courage to run to safety. Carrying only his boxing gloves, on May 8, the class VII student ran for 15 km, negotiating forests and hills to reach an Assam Rifles camp, hours later. The following day, he was dropped home.
“I do not know how much distance I ran. It was daytime and I could carry my boxing gloves only, I just ran to safety,” Mangminmgam recalled in broken Hindi, a day after reuniting with his parents at his village.
His farmer father, Shyam Lairaklaktham, belonging to the Meitei community and his mother, Hatnu a Kuki tribal woman, were surprised and delighted to find him safely delivered by the security forces.
Mangminmgam is now the toast of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles, amid the ruins left behind by the violent Meitei-Kuki ethnic clashes that killed over 60, and left scores wounded, while thousands have been displaced from their homes.
He ran to the safety of a Assam Rifles camp stationed at Mantripukhri in Imphal West district on Monday.
“Proud son of Kuki Mother & Meitei Father- Testimony to peaceful coexistence of all communities in #Manipur. Made a daring 15km run to one of our camps. Reunited with his mother yesterday,” a tweet from Dimapur-based Army’s Spear Corps (3rd Corps) read.
The Army also tweeted a short video on the young braveheart, where he is seen practising his boxing even at the Assam Rifles camp. “Indian Army and Assam Rifles salute his grit & determination and wish him all the happiness loads of luck in his boxing endeavours…” the tweet said.
Assam Rifles on its Facebook page has posted Mangminmgam heroic feat as “Fear, despair & negativity - Knocked Out.”