Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Manipur on Saturday for his first visit to the state since ethnic clashes broke out between the Kuki and Meitei communities more than two years ago.

Manipur Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel on Friday stated that the prime minister will speak with persons displaced due to the conflict in Churachandpur and Imphal.

More than 59,000 persons have been displaced and at least 260 killed since the ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities broke out in May 2023. There was periodic uptick in violence through 2024.

According to Kumar, Modi will also lay foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 7,300 crore at Peace Ground in Churachandpur and inaugurate projects worth Rs 1,200 crore in Imphal.

Security has been tightened in Imphal and Churachandpur districts.

On Thursday, clashes broke out in Churachandpur after a group allegedly tried to tear down decorative structures erected along roads in preparation for the prime minister’s visit.

The state has been under President’s Rule since February, after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned.

Modi’s visit comes amid repeated criticism by Opposition parties for the prime minister having not visited the state since the conflict broke out.

In January, the Congress accused Modi of abdicating his responsibilities by “outsourcing” Manipur to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Congress MP from Manipur Alfred Arthur Kanngam had in December asked in the Lok Sabha why the prime minister had “not been answerable” to strife-torn residents of the state.

In August 2023, the Opposition staged a walkout from Parliament during a no-confidence motion debate after Modi failed to mention the situation in Manipur.

The prime minister had spoken on the matter only after Opposition MPs had left, assuring the residents of Manipur that the country is with them and that the situation will soon return to normalcy.

Ahead of Modi’s visit, the Centre and the Manipur government on September 4 signed an agreement with Kuki-Zo groups to renew the Suspension of Operations pact with revised rules.

Under the agreement, the security forces as well as the militant groups are prohibited from launching operations. The militant groups must abide by the laws of the land and are also confined to designated camps identified by the central government.

Also read: ‘No side is happy’: Why Centre’s new pact with Kuki-Zo armed groups has left Manipur unenthused

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