Will Modi Finally Step into Manipur?
September 1, 2025: As Manipur remains under President’s Rule and the Assembly in a state of animated suspension, speculation is mounting not only about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-delayed visit to the state but also about possible moves to form a new government.
According to sources, a preparatory meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary recently reviewed security, traffic, and venue arrangements for Kangla (Imphal) and Peace Ground (Churachandpur), indicating serious groundwork for a potential VVIP visit.
Media reports suggest that Modi, scheduled to be in Mizoram on September 12 or 13 to inaugurate a railway line, may extend his tour to include a short stopover in Manipur, possibly timed with his 75th birthday on September 17.
If realised, this would be Modi’s first visit since the outbreak of ethnic clashes on May 3, 2023, which claimed more than 250 lives and displaced over 60,000 people.
For many here, the timing is being seen less as a gesture of concern and more as political optics, especially with talk intensifying about government formation in a state where democratic processes have remained frozen.
Critics argue that for a Prime Minister who has neither directly addressed the victims nor visited relief camps, the sudden movement tied to both birthday symbolism and political calculations risks deepening public skepticism rather than restoring trust.
