MMA Champion Chungreng Koren's Tearful Plea to PM Modi: Visit Manipur and End Violence

A tough Matrix Fight Night combat could not make him cry, but the violence in the Northeastern state of Manipur and the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter from Manipur's Churachandpur District heavily emotional after winning the world title inside the arena.

A Kuki-Zo professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, Chungreng Koren, known as the Indian Rhino, from Churachandpur's Kamu Koireng, made a heartfelt plea directly from the ring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Manipur and address the ethnic violence plaguing the Northeastern state after winning the Matrix Fight Night Interim Bantamweight World Title.

In a widely shared viral video, Chungreng Koren was seen speaking with emotion right after securing the Matrix Fight Night (MFN) Interim Bantamweight World Title tearfully highlighting the struggles in strife-torn Manipur due to the ongoing violence and pleaded with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state.

" "This is my humble request. Violence is happening in Manipur. It has been almost a year. People are dying and many people are at relief camps. There is a shortage of food and water at these relief camps. The children are not able to study properly. The future is unclear. Modi ji, please visit Manipur once and restore peace in the state", pleaded emotional Chungreng Koren.

Koren's impassioned plea further gained attention when Srinivas BV, the president of the Youth Congress, shared it on X (formerly known as Twitter), commenting in Hindi, "This is Chungreng Koren from Manipur. If their family had the Prime Minister as a member, perhaps the people of Manipur would not be shedding tears today".

Despite the widespread circulation of Koren's video, the BJP has yet to issue an official response to the plea made by Koren and echoed by Srinivas BV.

The Indian Rhino from a very young age had to engage himself in physical labour to support his family after his father passed away right before his birth and his mother who single-handedly raised him and his siblings.

His dedication to combat sports led him to train in the rice fields where he worked and his efforts paid off when he made his debut at the Manipur Fight League in 2018. Following his success in the competition, he greatly impressed Indian MMA star Roshan Mainam, who further propelled his journey in MMA when he invited him to join the selection trials at KOI Combat Academy, Bangalore.

Chungreng honed his skills under the guidance of Coach Vishal Seigell and achieved significant victories, including a notable win at the AIMMAF-IHHF National MMA Champion.

Inspired by Indian MMA icon Kario Isaac, the Indian Rhino, Chungreng Koren aspires to emulate the success of his mentors and become a champion himself. An undefeated streak has marked his professional career, including a memorable victory over Afghanistan's Sayed Firoz in the Pro Combat Fight League.

Despite his achievements in the ring, Chungreng has faced personal challenges, including the loss of his brother in 2019, which placed the responsibility of caring for his seven-member family on his shoulders.

The unrest situation in Manipur has deteriorated and escalated into a state of anarchy with underground militant groups garnering support amid the chaos.