Jimmy Ngammminlun Mate, son of Holkhothang Mate from Sahumphai, Manipur, serving with the 5th Assam Regiment, was swept away by the sudden outburst of the Chenab River.
Guwahati: In a tragic twist of fate, a young man who had already endured the brutality of ethnic conflict in Manipur has now fallen victim to the unforgiving forces of nature in faraway Jammu and Kashmir.
Jimmy Ngammminlun Mate, son of Holkhothang Mate from Sahumphai, Manipur, serving with the 5th Assam Regiment, was swept away by the sudden outburst of the Chenab River on the night of August 28. His unit was forced to abandon its post when it was overrun by floodwaters. In the chaos of darkness, Jimmy was caught in the raging current and went missing.
For nearly 24 hours, hope flickered as search teams scoured the swollen river. But on the afternoon of August 29, at around 3:00 pm, his lifeless body was finally recovered — a devastating confirmation of the family’s worst fears.
Jimmy’s story is doubly heartbreaking. His death is not just another military tragedy. He was not only a soldier but also a child of conflict. His parents and siblings, displaced by the ongoing conflict in Manipur, are currently surviving as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in NS Khojamphai Village, Churachandpur.
The Mate family had already lost their home — and now, they have lost their son. They are left to mourn a young man who rose from the ashes of conflict to serve his country, only to be consumed by nature’s fury.
What was once a young soldier’s journey of service and sacrifice has turned into a tale of displacement, despair, and death.
Mate’s story mirrors the struggles of thousands of displaced families from Manipur, who face compounded suffering — torn from their land by conflict, and often forgotten even as their children lay down their lives in national service.
As the nation mourns yet another son lost too soon, Jimmy’s story remains a haunting reminder: when conflict and nature converge, it is always the innocent who pay the ultimate price.
Jimmy Ngammminlun Mate’s name will now stand as a symbol of sacrifice — both of a soldier who served with honor, and of a displaced community still waiting for justice, dignity, and recognition.
