Two Lives, One Legacy: A Call for Reconciliation, A Shared End, A Shared Message

In a tragedy that has left families and communities shattered, two young cabin crew from Manipur, Miss Lamnuthem Singson of Thadou community and Miss Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma of Meitei community, lost their lives together in a devastating plane crash that occurred on 12 June 2025, in Ahmedabad. The flight took off for London at 1:39 pm on 12 June 2025 and crashed approximately 30 seconds afterwards. The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, out of which only one passenger survived. Lamnuthem and Kongbrailatpam were also among the 12 crew members.

In present condition of Manipur, these young women would not be seen together. Yet their final journey together has spoken louder than words, echoing across the ridges and rivers of Manipur. They are now symbols of what is possible in Manipur – peace, friendship, and a future not bound by the past. They were born into different communities, had different dialects and ate different food, yet, in their final moments, the young women were united by providence. The sky does not care for our divisions. In air, there are no valleys or hills, no borders, no tribes, but only duty, a shared purpose, and the weight of passengers’ safety placed in the hands of the cabin crew.
 
In life, their friendship might not have made headlines, but in death, it delivers a message, that perhaps, for the first time in past two years, the shared sorrow can be a starting point. What would it mean if we listen? What would it mean if the fire that took them, could burn through the barriers that divides Meitei and Kuki communities? What if, instead of counting the differences of the two communities, we choose to remember the way these two girls lost their lives - together, doing their job, trusting each other, facing the end not with hostility, but with courage.
 
Too often, we allow inherited identities to dictate the limits of our compassion. In a world obsessed with grand gestures and political rhetoric, these two young women offer a subtler truth – peace is lived, not declared. The hatred is learnt, but friendship is chosen. The sky has no border, and neither should grief. When all the noise falls away, we are left only with our shared humanity. As the time is passing, a quieter, more hopefull story is unfolding in cities and towns across the country. While Manipur is still recovering, thousands of people from both the communities are living, working and thriving side by side, offering a powerful reminder that peace and co-existence are not only possible, but already happening. Lamnuthem Singson and Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma did not die as Kuki and Meitei, but as daughters of Manipur, two young women chasing their dreams above clouds and beyond prejudices. Let us remember them not just with grief, but with the resolve to end this conflict and join hands. Let their legacy be the message of harmony and goodwill, which Manipur has not seen since the last two years.