The ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur started in May of 2023 and after 27 months of unrest, PM Narendra Modi will finally visit the state on Saturday (September 13). Manipur Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel on Friday officially confirmed the same. The first official confirmation, long awaited amid mounting speculation, comes after days of visible preparations in Imphal and Churachandpur. The Manipur government had on late Thursday put up a large billboard, announcing the PM’s programmes at Churachandpur’s Peace Ground and Kangla Fort in Imphal on Saturday.
According to a PTI report, the hoarding came up at Keisampat Junction, a key location in Imphal, which is also close to the BJP’s state headquarters. More such billboards were put up in the state’s capital Imphal, ahead of Modi’s visit.
Modi’s Manipur schedule
Goel said Modi will land in Churachandpur, a Kuki-Zo majority district, around 12.30 pm from Aizawl. His first engagement will be with internally displaced families living in relief camps for over two years. He is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone for development projects before addressing the public.
Later in the day, the Prime Minister will travel to Imphal for similar interactions and to inaugurate infrastructure initiatives. According to Goel, foundation stones worth Rs 7,300 crore will be laid, while projects worth Rs 1,200 crore will be inaugurated.
27 months of Manipur burning
The visit comes against the backdrop of 27 months of turmoil in Manipur, marked by recurring violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, a breakdown in law and order, insurgent activity, the imposition of President’s Rule and a parliamentary election. Though violence has ebbed in recent months, the scars remain deep.
Nearly 57,000 people continue to live in over 280 relief camps spread across the Meitei-majority valley and the Kuki-Zo-dominated hills. In July, then Chief Secretary P K Singh announced a three-phase resettlement plan to close all camps by year-end but progress has been slow.
Meanwhile, fault lines between valley and hill districts have hardened, restricting free movement. Restoring connectivity between communities is expected to be a central priority for the Centre.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is simultaneously holding talks with groups on both sides. Last month, it renewed a Suspension of Operations pact with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups under the Kuki National Organisation and the United People’s Front.