The Crossbill Team
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Manipur on Saturday, September 13, exactly 864 days after ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state on May 3, 2023.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) confirmed the itinerary on Friday, putting to rest speculation surrounding the visit.
During his visit, Modi will travel to Imphal and Churachandpur. In Churachandpur, a Kuki-dominated area, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore around 12:30 PM, followed by an address to a public gathering. He will then proceed to Meitei-majority Imphal, where he is scheduled to inaugurate various projects worth over Rs 1,200 crore at approximately 2:30 PM and speak at a public function. Modi will also engage directly with internally displaced persons residing in relief camps.
Since the outbreak of violence in May 2023, over 200 people have lost their lives, and more than 60,000 individuals have been displaced. The state remains virtually split, with Meiteis in the valley barred from entering Kuki-majority hill regions, and vice versa.
Manipur Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goyal, while announcing Modi’s visit, expressed optimism, stating, “The state government appreciates the efforts of the people of Manipur, both in the hills and the valley, for successfully moving forward to restore peace and normalcy in the state.”
He further remarked, “Manipur is not just a border state, but a central pillar of India’s Act East policy, a gateway to South-East Asia, and a proud guardian of India’s diversity. Peace is not only the absence of violence but the presence of trust, harmony and reconciliation. The visit of the Prime Minister will pave the way for peace, normalcy, and accelerate growth in the state.”
The visit comes amid significant challenges. The United Naga Council (UNC) has imposed an indefinite “trade embargo” on key highways, while an umbrella body of Meitei insurgent groups has called for a “total shutdown” on the day of Modi’s visit.
Furthermore, on September 4, the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement between the Union government, the Manipur government, and Kuki armed groups was formally extended. The pact affirms that negotiations will continue for a political settlement, which the Kuki groups interpret as tacit recognition of their demand for a separate administration.
However, some groups that signed the pact allege that the PIB has spun information of the official agreement which has seriously upset Kuki-Zo sentiment ahead of Modi’s visit to Churachandpur.
Modi’s approach to Manipur has remained cautious. Despite persistent demands for him to visit the state since the violence began, the Prime Minister has largely refrained from visiting or commenting extensively on the situation.
Even during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Modi avoided campaigning in the region. His first public comment on the violence came over 70 days later, on July 20, 2023, following the circulation of a video showing two Kuki women being paraded naked in Kangpokpi on May 4. In that speech outside Parliament, Modi deliberately refrained from singling out Manipur and included Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan—then governed by the Congress—as other states where governments must act against violence targeting women.
It was only in August that Modi spoke about the Manipur violence in Parliament for the first time, following a no-confidence motion against his government. In a speech lasting more than two hours, he spoke about the violence for barely 10 minutes, despite opposition claims that the motion aimed to hold him accountable.
In July 2024, during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, Modi addressed the issue in the Rajya Sabha, a day after the opposition sloganeered for justice for Manipur in the lower house. Nearly two years since the violence erupted, President’s Rule was imposed in February 2025 when N. Biren Singh stepped down as Chief Minister. The statutory resolution for Union rule was passed in April after two consecutive midnight sessions in Parliament and extended during the recent monsoon session.
Even as the government insists there are no law and order problems in Manipur, with Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stating on July 30 that “there are no law and order issues in the northeastern state,” violence and curfews persist.
While Modi has stayed away from the violence-torn state, his government has consistently defended the decision in Parliament, often by pointing to incidents of violence in opposition-ruled states under previous administrations.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) confirmed the itinerary on Friday, putting to rest speculation surrounding the visit.
During his visit, Modi will travel to Imphal and Churachandpur. In Churachandpur, a Kuki-dominated area, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore around 12:30 PM, followed by an address to a public gathering. He will then proceed to Meitei-majority Imphal, where he is scheduled to inaugurate various projects worth over Rs 1,200 crore at approximately 2:30 PM and speak at a public function. Modi will also engage directly with internally displaced persons residing in relief camps.
Since the outbreak of violence in May 2023, over 200 people have lost their lives, and more than 60,000 individuals have been displaced. The state remains virtually split, with Meiteis in the valley barred from entering Kuki-majority hill regions, and vice versa.
Manipur Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goyal, while announcing Modi’s visit, expressed optimism, stating, “The state government appreciates the efforts of the people of Manipur, both in the hills and the valley, for successfully moving forward to restore peace and normalcy in the state.”
He further remarked, “Manipur is not just a border state, but a central pillar of India’s Act East policy, a gateway to South-East Asia, and a proud guardian of India’s diversity. Peace is not only the absence of violence but the presence of trust, harmony and reconciliation. The visit of the Prime Minister will pave the way for peace, normalcy, and accelerate growth in the state.”
The visit comes amid significant challenges. The United Naga Council (UNC) has imposed an indefinite “trade embargo” on key highways, while an umbrella body of Meitei insurgent groups has called for a “total shutdown” on the day of Modi’s visit.
Furthermore, on September 4, the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement between the Union government, the Manipur government, and Kuki armed groups was formally extended. The pact affirms that negotiations will continue for a political settlement, which the Kuki groups interpret as tacit recognition of their demand for a separate administration.
However, some groups that signed the pact allege that the PIB has spun information of the official agreement which has seriously upset Kuki-Zo sentiment ahead of Modi’s visit to Churachandpur.
Modi’s approach to Manipur has remained cautious. Despite persistent demands for him to visit the state since the violence began, the Prime Minister has largely refrained from visiting or commenting extensively on the situation.
Even during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Modi avoided campaigning in the region. His first public comment on the violence came over 70 days later, on July 20, 2023, following the circulation of a video showing two Kuki women being paraded naked in Kangpokpi on May 4. In that speech outside Parliament, Modi deliberately refrained from singling out Manipur and included Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan—then governed by the Congress—as other states where governments must act against violence targeting women.
It was only in August that Modi spoke about the Manipur violence in Parliament for the first time, following a no-confidence motion against his government. In a speech lasting more than two hours, he spoke about the violence for barely 10 minutes, despite opposition claims that the motion aimed to hold him accountable.
In July 2024, during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, Modi addressed the issue in the Rajya Sabha, a day after the opposition sloganeered for justice for Manipur in the lower house. Nearly two years since the violence erupted, President’s Rule was imposed in February 2025 when N. Biren Singh stepped down as Chief Minister. The statutory resolution for Union rule was passed in April after two consecutive midnight sessions in Parliament and extended during the recent monsoon session.
Even as the government insists there are no law and order problems in Manipur, with Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stating on July 30 that “there are no law and order issues in the northeastern state,” violence and curfews persist.
While Modi has stayed away from the violence-torn state, his government has consistently defended the decision in Parliament, often by pointing to incidents of violence in opposition-ruled states under previous administrations.
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