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In the middle of all the tension and violence that’s been going on in Manipur, a surprising and touching moment unfolded on Friday that showed people’s kindness can still shine through — even when things are really bad.
A Meitei man who got seriously hurt in a truck accident in a Kuki-Zo dominated area was rescued and helped by local Kuki-Zo villagers, despite the heavy conflict between the two communities.
Truck Full of Potatoes Crashes Near Keithelmanbi
The accident happened around 3 PM near Keithelmanbi Military Colony in Kangpokpi District, which is mostly home to people from the Kuki-Zo community. A truck carrying potatoes and heading to Imphal crashed on National Highway-2.
Locals who heard the crash rushed to the scene and found a man badly injured among the sacks of potatoes inside the truck. His name was Hemam Prem Singh, 36, son of H. Inaocha Singh, from Moirang Turenbul Leikai, Ward No. 4 in Bishnupur District.
Help Came Fast — Even From the “Other Side”
What could have turned into another scary moment ended up being something completely different. Even though Singh is from the Meitei community — and the area he crashed in is mostly Kuki-Zo — the locals didn’t hesitate to help.
Today, in the afternoon, at KMC in Kangpokpi District, a goods-laden truck met with an accident. A Meitei man who was hiding in the truck was caught by local people. After receiving first aid, he was handed over to law enforcement agencies to be sent home safely. This serves as a… pic.twitter.com/71M5PraZfi
— The Proud Indian (@DynastyDoungel) April 11, 2025
People from the village, along with BSF (Border Security Force) troops who were already in the area for Road Opening Patrol duty, jumped in right away to help him.
They got him out of the wreck and helped get him to a hospital so he could get treated. No one stopped to think about what side he was from — they just acted like decent human beings.
A Moment of Kindness in the Middle of a Conflict
This might not seem like a huge deal at first, but in a place like Manipur, where Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities have been clashing for months, this was something rare. It wasn’t just about helping a stranger — it was choosing compassion over hate in a time when there’s so little trust between the two sides.
To make it even more powerful, this happened while many in the Kuki-Zo community are still angry over the Indian government’s Free Movement Regime (FMR) policy, and while both sides continue to feel unsafe in each other’s areas.
Still, the locals didn’t think twice. They did the right thing — and in doing that, reminded everyone that not everything has to be about hate.
No One Knows Why He Was There
So far, no one really knows why Hemam Prem Singh was traveling through a Kuki-Zo area, especially since it’s known to be risky for Meiteis to go there right now. But that question has taken a backseat to the way he was treated after the accident.
Instead of fear or hostility, what he found was help.
As someone from the area said, “What happened today may be a small act, but it reminds us all that we are human first. In times of pain, helping someone shouldn’t depend on who they are.”
