PM Modi Likely to Visit Manipur Amid Renewed Push for Peace Talks

Preparations are on for the likely visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to trouble-torn Manipur, sources said.

A top BJP functionary in Imphal told The Statesman that no date has been fixed, but the Prime Minister is expected to visit the state, and groundwork for the trip is already underway.

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While no official confirmation has been made, heightened security arrangements and the sudden acceleration of infrastructure projects suggest that a high-level visit is being planned.

If it materialises, this would be Modi’s first visit to the violence-hit state since February 22, 2022—more than a year before ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023.

The prolonged violence has claimed at least 260 lives and displaced around 50,000 people. Since February 13 this year, the state has been under President’s Rule, with Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities largely confined to separate zones—valley and hill districts, respectively—buffered by security forces.

Over the past month, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has intensified dialogue with key stakeholders.

Talks with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups resumed on June 9 after a hiatus of more than a year, followed by meetings with three influential Meitei civil society organisations earlier this week. Another round of talks with the Kuki-Zo groups is scheduled for Friday.

A major breakthrough—such as a ceasefire pact or a commitment to reconciliation—could provide the groundwork for a significant political gesture in the form of the Prime Minister’s visit, likely before the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins on July 21.

Local BJP leaders in Manipur confirmed that instructions have been issued to speed up road repairs and complete pending government infrastructure, including secretariat buildings and police headquarters.

Civil society groups across the state have responded with cautious optimism.

The Zomi Council, a prominent Kuki-Zo tribal body, said in a statement:

“Although no official announcement has been made… the possibility has given rise to renewed anticipation. If the august visit by the PM truly happens, we would extend a warm and sincere welcome to him in our land.”

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), representing Meitei interests, said it would reserve comment until the visit is formally confirmed.