PM Modi's First Manipur Visit Since Unrest: A Look Back At The Conflict And Where Things Stand

Last Updated:September 13, 2025, 06:30 IST

As PM Modi visits Manipur for the first time since the 2023 clashes, here’s a recap of the conflict, political fallout, and the state’s search for peace

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Manipur today, his first visit to the state since violence erupted in 2023. For many in the state, his presence is significant because Manipur has remained scarred by killings, arson and mass migration, with thousands of families still in relief camps and the state currently under President’s Rule after the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh in February this year.

The Prime Minister has spoken about the crisis before in Parliament, but this will be the first time he addresses the people of Manipur on their soil since the clashes began. His visit is set against the backdrop of both anticipation and scepticism; some see it as a long-delayed gesture of outreach, while others have dismissed it as symbolic.

What Has PM Modi Said On Manipur Before This Visit?

In July 2024, PM Modi told the Rajya Sabha that violence in Manipur was “steadily declining." He said more than 11,000 FIRs had been registered and over 500 people arrested since the violence began. Schools, colleges and offices, he emphasised, had reopened in much of the state, and examinations had been conducted without disruption.

The Prime Minister also reminded the House that both the Centre and the Manipur government were in constant dialogue with stakeholders. Modi had linked the crisis to Manipur’s long history of social conflict, recalling that President’s Rule had been imposed there ten times under Congress rule and that similar unrest in 1993 had lasted five years.

At the time, Modi urged Opposition parties to set aside politics and cooperate in restoring peace, while warning that “those elements who are adding fuel to the fire" would one day be rejected by the people of Manipur.

What Is On The Agenda During This Visit?

Now, more than a year after those remarks, PM Modi will physically visit Manipur. According to Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, the Prime Minister will interact with internally displaced persons (IDPs) in both Churachandpur and Imphal. At Churachandpur’s Peace Ground, a Kuki-majority area, he will lay the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 7,300 crore. Later in the day, at Kangla in Imphal, a Meitei-majority region, he will inaugurate projects worth Rs 1,200 crore. In total, development works worth Rs 8,500 crore will be unveiled.

The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address public gatherings at both venues. Security preparations are extensive: the Army has reviewed deployments in sensitive districts, restrictions have been imposed at Kangla Fort, and big screens are being installed across towns to broadcast his events.

This programme is being seen as not only an economic push but also a symbolic attempt to reach out to both communities at the heart of the conflict.

How Have Political Parties Reacted?

The announcement of PM Modi’s visit has drawn sharp political reactions. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, speaking in Gujarat on Friday, called the trip “no big deal," saying the real national issue was “vote chori" or vote theft.

“The issue in Manipur has been ongoing for a long time. It is good that he is going there now. But the main issue in the country is that of ‘Vote Chori’. The election mandates in Haryana and Maharashtra were stolen…People everywhere are saying ‘Vote Chor’," Congress MP said.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress communications in-charge, posted on X that the Prime Minister’s three-hour visit would be a “farce, not a force for peace."

“So now it is official. The PM will spend less than 3 hours in Manipur tomorrow. This visit instead of providing a force for peace and harmony is actually going to be a farce," he stated.

The Congress has repeatedly argued that the visit comes too late, after nearly 29 months of waiting.

Local voices, however, have shown a mix of hope and scepticism. Retired Lieutenant General LN Singh from Imphal described the visit as the “first stone" of the rebuilding process, while Churachandpur leader Ginza Vualzong called it “historic" and expressed hope for a political solution. Others, like Congress’s Keisham Meghachandra Singh dismissed the trip as symbolic.

BJP leaders, including Sambit Patra and former chief minister N Biren Singh, have welcomed the visit, saying it could open the way for reconciliation.

Ethnic Fault Lines In Manipur

Manipur is divided along long-standing ethnic lines between its valley and hill communities. The Meiteis, who make up around 53 per cent of the state’s population, live mainly in the Imphal Valley, which covers only about 10 per cent of Manipur’s land area. They are predominantly Hindus, though about 8 per cent are Muslims known as Meitei Pangals.

Better represented in education, business and politics than other groups, the Meiteis have for years pressed for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list, arguing that it would protect their land and employment rights.

The tribal communities, chiefly Kukis (about a quarter of the population) and Nagas (around 15 per cent), together account for about 40 per cent of the population and inhabit nearly 90 per cent of the hill districts. The Kukis, most of whom are Christians, are concentrated in districts such as Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Chandel. They trace their roots to migrations from Myanmar and see themselves as a hill people whose rights are protected under the Constitution. The Nagas, also predominantly Christian, inhabit other hill districts and have had their own long-running political demands.

Historically, Kukis and Nagas have clashed, as in 1993, when fighting between them led to heavy casualties, but they share common ground in opposing Meitei attempts to expand into protected tribal land.

The result is a sharp valley-versus-hills divide. Meiteis have demanded ST recognition to preserve their position in the state, while Kukis and Nagas have argued that the Meiteis are already more advanced and politically dominant, and that granting them ST status would open up the hills to settlement and weaken tribal protections. Tribal groups also point out that Meiteis already have recognition under Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other Backward Class (OBC) categories.

Though the Meiteis and Kukis differ in religion, the conflict that occurred in 2023 was not primarily about faith. At its core, it was a battle over land, resources, and constitutional safeguards, a fault line that has existed for decades and set the stage for the clashes.

Why Did Manipur Descend Into Violence In 2023?

The turning point came in April 2023, when the Manipur High Court directed the state government to consider the long-pending demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. The order immediately deepened anxieties among tribal groups, particularly the Kukis, who feared that it would open the protected hill areas to settlement by Meiteis.

Less than two weeks later, on 3 May 2023, the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) organised a “Tribal Solidarity March" across the hill districts to protest the court directive. What began as a protest quickly turned violent in Churachandpur and spread across the state.

Homes and villages were torched, churches and temples were attacked, and thousands fled their homes. Police armouries were looted, with thousands of weapons stolen. Within weeks, Manipur was effectively split into two zones: the valley dominated by Meiteis and the hills dominated by Kukis, separated by a buffer patrolled by central forces.

How Did Events Unfold?

The unrest stretched across two years and eventually brought down the state government.

• Nov 2022: Forest reclassification in Churachandpur-Khopum angered tribal groups.
• Feb 2023: Eviction drives in tribal districts triggered protests.
• Mar 2023: State withdrew from Suspension of Operations agreements with Kuki militant groups.
• Apr 20, 2023: High Court directed state to consider Meitei ST demand.
• May 3, 2023: Violence erupted during the Tribal Solidarity March; over 200 killed, tens of thousands displaced.
• May 28, 2023: Around 4,000 weapons looted from police stations and battalions.
• Jul 19, 2023: Video of two Kuki women paraded naked went viral; PM Modi called it “shameful for any civil society."
• Aug 2023: Supreme Court set up a committee for relief and rehabilitation.
• Nov 2023: Relief camps attacked, sparking renewed panic.
• Apr 2024: BJP lost both Lok Sabha seats in Manipur to Congress.
• Nov 11, 2024: Six Meitei women and children kidnapped and killed; CRPF killed 10 alleged Kuki-Zo militants the same day.
• Dec 31, 2024: Chief Minister N Biren Singh apologised for the loss of lives.
• Feb 9, 2025: Biren Singh resigned.
• Feb 13, 2025: President’s Rule imposed.

What Is The Situation In Manipur Now?

PTI reported that more than 260 people have been killed since the violence began, and thousands remain displaced. Many continue to live in segregated relief camps, unable to return to areas now dominated by the other community. Security forces continue to maintain buffer zones between Meitei- and Kuki-dominated areas.

The state is under President’s Rule, with the Assembly under suspended animation until its tenure ends in 2027. Security forces maintain buffer zones, but deep mistrust remains. The conflict has also been complicated by cross-border flows from Myanmar, including irregular migration and smuggling.

Hopes For A Way Forward

Despite periods of calm, mistrust remains, and displaced families have yet to return home in large numbers. For ordinary citizens, whether in relief camps or towns preparing for his arrival, the overarching demand remains the same: a permanent solution and a path forward towards reconciliation.

Karishma Jain

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar...Read More

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar...

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