Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Manipur on Saturday, his first visit to the state in more than two years after ethnic violence broke out, officials stated. The PM will inaugurate projects costing an estimated ₹8,500 crore.
In keeping with the official word, Modi will dedicate foundation stones for development projects totaling ₹7,300 crore at Peace Ground in Churachandpur, a Kuki-dominated region. He will also open projects worth ₹1,200 crore from Imphal, which is a Meitei-dominated region.
The visit is in the face of criticism from the opposition parties, which have consistently queried the Prime Minister's absence from the state since ethnic clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities erupted in May 2023. The clashes have left over 260 dead and displaced thousands.
On Thursday, the Manipur government erected billboards in key locations such as Keisampat Junction in Imphal, close to the BJP’s state headquarters, announcing Modi’s programmes at Churachandpur’s Peace Ground and Kangla Fort in Imphal. More hoardings were seen across the state capital ahead of his arrival.
Manipur has been under the President's Rule since February, after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. In advance of the PM's visit, officials had issued strict instructions to people going to the event. An advisory excluded items like keys, pens, bags, umbrellas, lighters, water bottles, sharp objects, and even handkerchiefs at Peace Ground. Another notification asked people not to bring kids below 12 years or the elderly and sick to the event.
Besides, air guns have been prohibited in Churachandpur district ahead of the visit.
Security has been tightened in both Imphal and Churachandpur. Personnel from central and state forces have been deployed in huge numbers at Kangla Fort, which covers an area of 237 acres, and Peace Ground, where a grand stage is being erected.
Teams are making continuous checks at Kangla Fort, with boats from the disaster management force making patrol rounds in the surrounding moats. Police and paramilitary personnel have also been deployed along the road leading to Peace Ground, where bamboo barricades have been put up.
"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 people," the BJP MP said.
Senior Kuki-Zo bodies have also welcomed the visit, terming it a "historic and rare occasion." The Kuki-Zo Council, acting on behalf of sections of the community, noted that a visit by a Prime Minister to the area after almost four decades was significant.
"We place our trust in your leadership to heal our wounds, restore our dignity, and safeguard the future of the Kuki-Zo people," the council said, referring to Modi's visit.
The other community groups shared the same views but countered ideas of a traditional dance program during the reception. Women's group Imagi Meira even called for Modi to facilitate the safe transit of Meiteis along the National Highway.
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