PM Modi in Manipur on Sept 13; to reach out to violence-hit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manipur on Saturday, his first trip to the state since ethnic violence broke out there over two years ago.

He will be in the state only for a day and begin his tour from Churachandpur, where he is scheduled to lay the foundation stones for development projects and meet people affected by the ethnic violence. From there, he will travel to Imphal, where he will address a public gathering at Kangla Fort and inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for multiple initiatives.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, downplayed Modi’s scheduled visit to Manipur, asserting that it was “not a big deal” and that the central issue facing the country at present was “vote chori” (vote theft).

Speaking to the media in Junagadh district of Gujarat on Friday, Rahul said citizens across India were raising the “vote chor” (vote thief) slogan.

“Manipur has been in trouble for a long time and the PM has decided to go there now. So that’s not a big deal. The main issue today in India is ‘vote chori’,” the Member of Parliament from Raebareli said in response to questions about Modi’s scheduled trip.

On the eve of his travel, a civil society group of the Meitei community — the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) — called upon Modi to use his September 13 visit to address the state’s deep-rooted crisis, warning against reducing it to “tokenism” or mere inauguration of projects.

Khuraijam Athouba, convener of COCOMI, said the PM’s visit, “after a long absence”, carried “both symbolic and practical weight” and should prioritise core issues destabilising Manipur.

COCOMI reiterated its long-standing demands, urging the PM to focus on identifying illegal immigrants, implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC), resettling internally displaced persons, and ending the ongoing proxy war. Athouba stressed that the state was facing “the brunt of illegal immigrants”, which had distorted its social and political balance, making mechanisms like the NRC critical for restoring stability.

The committee also called for action against the forces behind the ongoing proxy war, which it links to the controversial suspension of operations (SoO) agreement. They sought an assurance from the PM on protecting the constitutional rights and freedom of movement of all residents. The All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO), however, said Modi’s visit was more about getting credit ahead of the local body elections, rather than addressing the state’s pressing issues arising out of the two-year-long ethnic violence.

AMUCO president Nando Luwang said at a press conference in Imphal that Modi’s September 13 visit to the state was focused on inaugurating projects for claiming credit ahead of the local body elections. “We don’t expect anything from him. For more than two years, he has not taken any necessary action to solve the problem or bring a lasting solution,” Luwang said.

The much-awaited visit comes against the backdrop of mounting criticism of the PM by opposition parties, who have repeatedly targeted him for not visiting Manipur since May 2023, when clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities plunged the state into ethnic strife. The violence has claimed more than 260 lives and displaced more than 60,000 people in the state.

Meanwhile, the PM will lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore at Churachandpur.

Modi will also inaugurate development projects worth over Rs 1,200 crore in Imphal.

The PM’s Manipur tour is part of his five-state tour from September 13 till September 15. On September 13, he will visit Mizoram and Manipur, while on September 14, he will be in Assam.

On September 15, Modi will visit West Bengal and inaugurate the 16th Combined Commanders’ Conference-2025 in Kolkata. Thereafter, the PM will visit Bihar and inaugurate the new terminal building of the Purnea airport. Later, he will also lay the foundation stone and inaugurate development projects worth around Rs 36,000 crore at Purnea and address the gathering on the occasion. He will also launch the National Makhana Board in Bihar.