PM Modi's first Manipur visit since 2023 unrest: 10 key points to know

This is PM Modi’s first trip to Manipur since the clashes that killed over 260 and displaced thousands.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Manipur today for the first time since ethnic clashes erupted in May 2023, violence that left more than 260 people dead, displaced thousands, and forced the state under President’s Rule after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned in February this year.

The Prime Minister's visit is being seen as a high-stakes political moment.

PM Modi will travel to two of the most sensitive regions, Churachandpur, dominated by the Kuki community, and Imphal, the Meitei heartland, where he is slated to interact with internally displaced persons as well as unveil development projects worth nearly Rs 8,500 crore. He will also address public gatherings in both districts.

In view of that, security across the state has been ramped up. The Army has reviewed deployments in sensitive areas, restrictions are in place at Kangla Fort in Imphal, and big screens have been set up in towns to broadcast the Prime Minister’s speeches.

The 2023 unrest began after the Manipur High Court ordered the state government to consider granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. The court's order, however, quickly triggered protests among tribal groups, especially Kukis, who feared it would open up protected hill areas to settlement. The violence that followed split the state along ethnic lines, saw entire villages torched, police armouries looted, and tens of thousands driven into relief camps.

Nearly a year later, in July 2024, PM Modi informed the Parliament that violence in the North Eastern state had been “steadily declining,” pointing to over 11,000 FIRs and more than 500 arrests. He had also urged political parties to cooperate in restoring peace.

The Congress has, meanwhile, been critical of the timing of the Prime Minister's visit. Rahul Gandhi dismissed it as “no big deal,” arguing that the real national crisis is “vote chori” in recent state elections. Party president Jairam Ramesh called PM Modi’s less-than-three-hour stopover a “farce, not a force for peace.”

The BJP, however, has hailed the trip. Leaders, including Sambit Patra and former CM Biren Sing,h say it could lay the foundation for reconciliation. Local voices remain divided: some call the visit “historic,” while others see it as largely symbolic.

Here are 10 key points on PM Modi’s visit to Manipur today:

>> First visit since 2023 unrest – This is PM Modi’s first trip to Manipur since the clashes that killed over 260 and displaced thousands.

>> Focus on Churachandpur – The trip begins in the Kuki-majority district, one of the worst-hit by the unrest.

>> Historic milestone – PM Modi will be the first Prime Minister to visit Churachandpur since Rajiv Gandhi in 1988.

>> Rs 7,300 crore projects in Churachandpur – Foundation stones for roads, women’s hostels, and National Highway works will be laid today.

>> Imphal Leg: Rs 1,200 crore projects -- Inaugurations at Kangla Fort, a Meitei cultural landmark.

>> Major infrastructure push – New police headquarters (Rs 101 cr), Civil Secretariat (Rs 538 cr), Drainage system (Rs 3,647 cr), MIND project (Rs 550 cr).

>> Total investment worth Rs 8,500 crore – Across both districts, aimed at development and reconciliation.

>> Balancing Communities – Outreach to both Kukis and Meiteis in a carefully calibrated programme.

>> Heavy Security – Army deployments, restrictions at Kangla Fort, live broadcasts across towns.

>> Regional Context – PM Modi's visit follows his Mizoram tour, where he will unveil Rs 9,000 crore projects.