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Modi’s Likely First Visit to Manipur Since 2023 Violence Sparks Congress Attack

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Imphal/New Delhi
  • Sep 03, 2025
  • 602

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Manipur on September 13 — his first trip to the strife-torn state since ethnic clashes erupted more than two years ago. The Congress has dismissed the move as a delayed and reluctant gesture, branding it “too little, too late.”

The northeastern state has remained scarred since May 3, 2023, when ethnic strife between Kuki-Zo tribes and Meiteis broke out over a court order on Scheduled Tribe status. At least 260 people were killed and tens of thousands displaced, many still living in relief camps.

Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh accused the prime minister of “ignoring Manipur while travelling the world,” pointing out that Modi visited Assam and Arunachal Pradesh several times but skipped Manipur at its most critical hour.

“For 29 months, the PM refused to meet any delegation from Manipur, failed to offer condolences on the death of cultural icon Ratan Thiyam, and looked away even as the Supreme Court said constitutional machinery had broken down,” Ramesh said, blaming Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for “deepening the pain and distress of all communities.”

The Congress also highlighted what it called the collapse of the BJP’s “double-engine sarkar,” noting that Chief Minister N. Biren Singh remained in office until President’s Rule was finally imposed in February 2025. Ramesh alleged that the situation has not improved even after New Delhi’s direct control.

Meanwhile, officials confirmed that preparations are underway for Modi’s proposed visit. The itinerary includes inaugurating the Bairabi-Sairang railway station in Mizoram before flying to Imphal and Churachandpur, with major functions planned at Kangla and the Peace Ground. Final security reviews are in progress, though the schedule remains subject to confirmation.

If confirmed, Modi’s Manipur visit could mark a politically charged moment — one framed by the opposition as belated symbolism, and by the ruling party as a renewed push for peace in a fractured state.