PM Modi To Visit Manipur On September 13, His First Trip Since 2023 Ethnic Violence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manipur on Saturday, September 13, marking his first trip to the state since ethnic violence broke out in 2023. Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel in Imphal confirmed the visit, calling it a step toward restoring peace, stability, and development in the region.

This will be Modi's first visit to the northeastern state in two years, a period during which opposition parties repeatedly criticized his absence following the ethnic clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities. The violence, which began in May 2023, has claimed over 260 lives and displaced thousands of people.

During the trip, Modi will also travel to Mizoram, where he will inaugurate the Bairabi-Sairang railway line project. From Peace Ground in Churachandpur, a Kuki-majority district, he is expected to lay foundation stones for development projects worth ₹7,300 crore. In Imphal, which has a Meitei-majority population, he will inaugurate infrastructure projects valued at ₹1,200 crore, according to officials.

On Thursday evening, the Manipur government put up a large billboard outlining the Prime Minister's programmes at Peace Ground in Churachandpur and Kangla Fort in Imphal. Authorities also issued a public advisory for those attending the "VVIP programme" at Peace Ground, instructing them not to carry keys, pens, bags, water bottles, handkerchiefs, umbrellas, lighters, matchboxes, cloth pieces, sharp objects, or weapons.

A separate notice, without naming the Prime Minister, requested that children under 12 and unwell individuals should not be brought to the event. Ahead of the visit, the government also banned air guns in Churachandpur district. Security has been intensified across both Imphal and Churachandpur, officials confirmed.

Reacting to the announcement, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi welcomed Modi's upcoming trip. Speaking in Junagadh, Gujarat, he told reporters, "The issue in Manipur has been ongoing for a long time. It is good that he is going there now."

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, however, criticized the visit, calling it inadequate. In a post on X, he cited reports that the Prime Minister may spend only three hours in the state. Ramesh wrote, "The proposed visit of the Prime Minister to Manipur on Sept 13 is being hailed by his cheerleaders. But it appears that he will be spending just about 3 hours-yes, just 3 hours-in the state. What does he hope to accomplish by such a rushed trip?"

Calling it an "insult" to the people of Manipur, Ramesh added, "This is actually an insult to the people of the state who have waited for him for 29 long and agonising months. Sept 13th will actually be a non-visit by the PM, who has once again revealed his callousness and insensitivity towards the people of Manipur."