PM Modi's Manipur Visit Must Not Go Waste
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2025-09-08 14:18:16
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For more than two years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stayed away from Manipur - a state scarred by ethnic violence that has left over 250 dead and tens of thousands displaced. His absence has loomed large.
Now, at last, the Prime Minister is expected in Manipur later this month. For many, the visit is belated recognition that their suffering matters. But the ground has shifted. Both Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups have junked the Centre's recent "peace" arrangements, including the renewal of ceasefire deals and the reopening of key highways. Instead of building confidence, Delhi's top-down approach has deepened suspicion on both sides.
This is the reality Modi will face: a fractured society, camps holding nearly 60,000 displaced people, more than 3,000 looted weapons still missing, neighbourhoods divided by barricades. Armed groups, not elected representatives, set the rules. To make matters worse, Parliament gave the crisis a token slot - forty minutes, in the dead of night. The message to Manipur was clear: your pain isn't a priority.
The Prime Minister impending visit must not be reduced to images and speeches. It must mean three things. First, an honest admission that the Centre failed to act with urgency, allowing the violence to fester. Second, a commitment to restore democratic government - because Manipur cannot heal under remote control from Delhi. Third, the start of a credible dialogue that includes all communities, not just deals cut with hand-picked groups.
Manipur needs a healing touch which includes disarmament, resettlement, rehabilitation. Relief camps cannot become permanent. Young people cannot be left to grow up behind barbed wire. None of this will be solved overnight. To stop the drift and begin repair, a process rooted in transparency and political legitimacy needs to be initiated.
For too long, Manipur has felt abandoned by the country's leadership. Modi's presence could be an opening. But only if he treats it as the beginning of a long road, not the closing act. Symbolism alone will not work. Manipur is not waiting for gestures. It is waiting for justice, security, and the chance to live together again.
