PM Modi visits Manipur for first time since 2023 ethnic violence, meets victims of ethnic violence | Watch
PTC Web Desk: More than two years after ethnic clashes devastated Manipur and displaced thousands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited relief camps in Churachandpur, the epicentre of the violence that claimed more than 260 lives.
The Prime Minister undertook a 65-km road journey from Imphal airport due to heavy rainfall before reaching the Peace Ground, where he met children, elderly citizens, and families living in relief camps. He was accompanied by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. It was in Churachandpur, largely inhabited by the Kuki-Zo community, that violence first erupted in May 2023 during a tribal rally opposing the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Since then, clashes between the two groups have displaced over 60,000 people and led to the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The state has been under President’s Rule since February 2025.
#WATCH | Manipur: PM Modi being welcomed in Churachandpur as he arrives in the city. PM also interacts with the locals of the city.
PM will lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore at Churachandpur today. The projects include Manipur… pic.twitter.com/wvDxi3P28i — ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2025
During his visit, PM Modi launched 14 major development projects worth Rs 7,300 crore, including drainage systems, women’s hostels, schools, and super-speciality healthcare centres.
“This beautiful region had been scarred by violence. Today, I met families living in relief camps, and after listening to them, I can say that a new dawn of hope is emerging for Manipur. Lasting peace is essential for the state’s progress and development,” said Prime Minister Modi while addressing people in Churachandpur.
Next stop: Imphal
After Churachandpur, the Prime Minister will travel to Imphal, the Meitei-majority region, to meet displaced families living in relief camps. He will also inaugurate projects worth Rs 1,200 crore and deliver an address at the historic Kangla Fort, once the seat of Manipur’s kingdom.
Highlighting the state’s strategic importance, Chief Secretary Puneet Goel said, “Manipur is not just a border state but a central pillar of India’s Act East Policy, a gateway to Southeast Asia, and a proud guardian of India’s diversity.”
On the other hand, the Congress slammed the Prime Minister’s late visit, calling it “too little, too late.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Manipur had been “burning for over two years” and that PM Modi’s arrival was “not a big deal.” Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh added that the three-hour stopover was an “insult to the people” who had waited 29 months for the Prime Minister’s intervention.
- With inputs from agencies
