Modi In Manipur: PM To Launch Projects Worth 8,500 Cr In Kuki, Meitei Strongholds In First Trip Since Violence
PM Modi will visit Manipur to launch ₹8,500 crore in development projects in Kuki and Meitei areas, two years after ethnic tensions broke out and Opposition criticism.
Over two years after ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the state on September 13, where he will launch and inaugurate development projects valued at nearly ₹8,500 crore. The visit comes against the backdrop of continued criticism from opposition parties, who have repeatedly questioned Modi’s absence from the northeastern state since violence between Kuki and Meitei communities broke out in May 2023, claiming over 260 lives and displacing thousands.
PM Modi's Development push in Kuki, Meitei areas
According to officials cited by news agency PTI, Modi will lay the foundation stones for projects worth around ₹7,300 crore at Peace Ground in Churachandpur, a Kuki-majority district. He will also inaugurate infrastructure works valued at ₹1,200 crore from Imphal, dominated by the Meiteis.
Speculation had been rife that the Prime Minister would combine his visit with a programme in neighbouring Mizoram, though no official confirmation had been issued until Thursday evening. Clarity emerged after the Manipur government erected a large billboard in Imphal’s Keisampat Junction, close to the BJP state headquarters, announcing Modi’s engagements in Churachandpur’s Peace Ground and Kangla Fort in Imphal, PTI reported. More hoardings are expected in the coming days.
The visit takes place while Manipur remains under President’s Rule, following the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh in February this year.
Earlier on Thursday, the state government issued an advisory regarding a “VVIP programme” at Peace Ground. While the notification did not name the Prime Minister, it instructed attendees not to carry items such as keys, pens, water bottles, bags, handkerchiefs, umbrellas, lighters, matchboxes, cloth pieces, sharp objects, or any arms and ammunition. The advisory also urged people not to bring children under 12 or those who are unwell to the venue.
Rajya Sabha MP calls PM Modi's visit ‘fortunate’
Manipur’s lone Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba hailed the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit, describing it as an auspicious moment for the state.
“It’s a great fortune that Modi will be listening to the hardships faced by the people… Manipur has had a history of violent clashes in the past. However, no prime minister has visited the state during such times and listened to the people. Modi is the first PM to visit during such hard times,” the BJP MP said.
In a video message, Leishemba urged residents to welcome Modi warmly and not heed boycott calls.
Security blanket over Imphal, Churachandpur
Officials said elaborate security measures are being enforced in Imphal and Churachandpur ahead of Modi’s arrival. Large contingents of state police and central forces have been deployed at Kangla Fort, spread over 237 acres, and at Peace Ground, where a stage is being readied for the programme.
Security teams have been carrying out round-the-clock checks at Kangla Fort, while boats from the state disaster management force patrol the surrounding moats. The historic fort, once the seat of Manipuri rulers before the kingdom’s annexation in 1891, includes a polo field, ruins of temples, and archaeological offices.
Meanwhile, a team of central security officers has also reached Churachandpur, where barricades and checkpoints have been set up along the approach roads to the Peace Ground.
Top Headlines
