PM Modi heads to Manipur over 2 years after Meitei-Kuki conflict, to meet displaced persons

Imphal/Churchandpur: More than two years after the conflict involving the Meitei and Kuki communities, deaths of 259 people and repeated pleas by the people and demand by the Opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is finally visiting Manipur on Saturday.

Modi will meet representatives of those displaced by the conflict and will address public meetings: first in the Kuki-dominated Churachandpur and later in the Meitei-dominated state capital Imphal. The PM will lay foundation stones or inaugurate projects valued Rs. 8,547 crores for entire Manipur.

Senior BJP leader Sambit Patra on Friday evening said in Imphal that the PM's chopper will land at Churachandpur at 11.30am, following which he would meet the displaced persons, women, elderly persons and youths before laying foundations of the projects and addressing a public meeting at the Peace Ground. He will later fly in a helicopter to Imphal, where he will similarly first meet representatives of the displaced persons inside the campus of highly projected ancient Kangla Fort, the seat of power of the erstwhile Manipur kingdom. He will then inaugurate the projects. Imphal is 65km from Churachandpur by road.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla will attend both the events. Manipur has remained under the President's Rule since February.

In fact, Manipur is going to be the PM's second stop in the Northeast on Saturday, first being in Mizoram in the morning, where he will inaugurate the first railway line connecting the state capital Aizawl with the rest of India. After the Manipur meetings, Modi will head to Assam, where he will attend the celebrations of birth centenary of legendary singer, musician Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika, in Guwahati.

Large billboards highlighting the developmental projects have been put up at several places in Imphal, Churachandpur and elsewhere by the administration to welcome the PM.

But many community level leaders in both the Valley and in the hills on Friday told DH that people's focus is not on the projects but on finding a solution to the conflict that has kept Manipur on the boil since May 3 in 2023.

"The PM kept avoiding Manipur when it burnt, many died and got displaced. Now when he is coming, we want him to make significant announcements here to end the conflict and restore peace," Soumendra Singh, a resident, who lives near the Kangla Fort, told DH. "But the way they are trying to highlight the developmental projects only, it does not look like he will have something concrete to change the situation."

The Meiteis demand a NRC to detect the "illegal Chin Kuki migrants" from neighbouring Myanmar, abrogation of the suspension of operations agreements with the Kuki rebel groups and a crackdown on the illegal poppy cultivation, smuggling of drugs and arms. The Kukis, on the other hand, says a "separate administration" with a legislature is the only way towards lasting peace. "We are entirely relying on the Centre to fulfil the demand under the Constitution and end the conflict forever," Sominthang Doungel, an advisor of Kuki Inpi Manipur, told DH in Churachandpur, on Friday.

Kuki Zo Council, the apex body engaged in talks with the Centre also welcomed Modi's visit calling it "rare and historic." 

A BJP leader in Imphal told DH that further delay in formation of a government in the state and finding a solution to the conflict would erode BJP's support base among the people, particularly in the Valley. BJP lost the two Lok Sabha seats in Manipur, during the general elections conducted last year amid the conflict. The Opposition Congress has repeatedly attacked Modi for not visiting Manipur to end the conflict.

The PM is visiting the state amid a "boycott call" by six Valley-based armed groups and "non-cooperation" by Meira Paibis, an influential Meitei women vigilante group.

PM's itinerary

Mizoram: (10am)

PM to lay foundation stones and lay projects valued over Rs. 9,000 crores in Aizawl.

This includes the first railway line (Bhairabi-Sairang) connecting the capital Aizawl with the rest of India.

Manipur: (12.30pm & 2.30pm)

To lay the foundation stones of projects across Manipur worth Rs. 7,344 crores, from Churachandpur.

To inaugurate projects worth Rs. 1,203 crores, from Imphal.

Assam: (5pm)

To address the birth centenary celebrations of music maestro and Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika, in Guwahati.