Narendra Modi’s Manipur outreach !!
- Solidarity with Displaced people.
- There was emotional appeal as PM Modi termed his visit and people’s enthusiastic response as a ‘new dawn of peace’.
Governor Ajay Bhalla urged Kukis (people of Churachandur) not to allow illegal Settlements of people beyond the borders.
“We cannot allow our land to be encroached by people from beyond the borders”.
Mangtha Mo !! - in local Kuki and Mizo language means ... it’s nice na !
This is definitely one part of the story vis-a-vis Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur. Dealing with children PM Narendra Modi has always 'bettered' many PMs .... and turned each meeting into a high-profile event.
Students in Mizoram share ethnic bonds with Kukis and also share the local dialect. When they rode the Aizawl (Sairang) to New Delhi Rajdhani Express during its flagging off by the Prime Minister in Aizawl on Sept 13, 2025 -- they were also passing out a cheerful message.
This might be symbolic and even in a child like simplicity; but this carried a big message for Manipur state and the rest of India because ethnic clashes in 2023 left Kukis and Mizos unhappy and grieving.
The ethnic bond between Kukis or Zo people with Mizos so strong that the BJP election strategists advised PM Modi to avoid campaigning in 2023 assembly polls in Mizoram.
BJP's ally MNF and its leader Zoramthanga were punished and voted out.
In fact, a story goes Zoramthanga had declined to share dais with Modi in 2023 November polls.
On the other hand, the BJP and ally Naga People's Front lost Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seats respectively to the Congress in 2024 also.
PM did not campaign in 2024 parliamentary polls as well in these two states.
In Hindi -- the BJP slogan is ... "Modi hae toh mumkin hae....
(Yes, it's possible with Narendra Modi around).
Now in 2025 - a local Mizo student told Door Darshan news channel -
“If Modi is there, anything is possible. Today, we see a new railway line being built, and it is truly an opportunity for us to be here".
Modi and his signature style - a new name for Manipur - "A Land of gems"
Of course, the prime minister knows how to do it the best. There is a universal appeal in this to Meiteis and Kukis.
"A new dawn of hope & trust emerging" -- said PM.
Modi also said --- "I know your struggles very well .... I promise ... I am with you” – it meant both sides – the Kukis and also Meiteis.
In fact, analysts in Imphal do not miss that back with his strong points ... on how to communicate - Namo said :
“There is ‘Mani’ (gem) in the name of Manipur. It is that ‘Mani’ which is going to make the entire Northeast shine in the future".
This is the best 'inclusive' way to move ahead at a time when divisions between Kukis (Zo people) are so sharp and bitter with the Meiteis, a local social worker said,
Left to Modi -- he would have called Manipur -- a Gem-pur
... that's 'a Land of Gems'
“I appeal to all organisations to move forward on the path of peace, fulfil your dreams, and secure the future of your children", the Prime Minister said.
Disappointed - says Congress stalwart Ibobi Singh
Congress veteran and former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has stated that there was nothing significant about the Prime Minister brief visit.
Modiji “failed” to address the people's aspirations for restoring peace in the state.
Ibobi told journalists the Prime Minister didn't say anything concrete and meaningful to resolve the protracted crisis.
Stating that Manipur's economy has worsened significantly since the BJP came to power, likening it to a patient in the ICU, he dared the BJP to declare that the State's economy is in good condition.
All hopes pinned on him have been shattered, Ibobi said the Prime Minister didn't bring any roadmap to resettle the Meitei and Kuki internally displaced people (IDPs) who have been languishing in relief camps for the past 28 months.
The Kuki MLAs including from BJP demanded division of Manipur and creation of a new Union Territory.
This won’t make Meiteis happy in the valley -- who also claim that a substantial number of Kukis in Manipur are “outsiders” – either from states such as Mizoram, Nagaland and Assam.
In fact, in 2023 one refrain was many Kuki Zo people had crossed over from Myanmar also.
A group of 10 legislators from Kuki stronghold belts submitted a joint memorandum to the Prime Minister during his first-ever visit to Churachandpur on Saturday and appealed for an early political settlement and the creation of a separate Union Territory with a legislature.
The memorandum, signed by MLAs cutting across BJP, KPA and Independent affiliations, stated that the minority community had been subjected to unprecedented "ethnic persecution" in Manipur.
On his return to Delhi after Sept 15 on finishing his visit to West Bengal and Bihar; PM Modi will have to sit with Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the issues of Manipur -- which almost remain where they were in 2023 May when the unprecedented violence was kicked off.
Experts and former Military officials say the mayhem of 2023 was more than ethnic. Lt Gen Abhay Krishna (Retd) who commanded Eastern Command, told this columnist earlier this year that the clashes in Manipur could have been instigated by various regional and global players.
Hence things stand basically where they were.
An educationist in Imphal said – “We agree the most crucial takeaway was his direct appeal to all the organisations to take the path of Peace... But the challenges are complex. The fissures between Kukis and Meiteis remain. More so because this part of India is an ethnically and geographically divided society”.
PM appeals for Peace:
Nevertheless, PM Modi said during his visit-
“I appeal to all organisations to move forward on the path of peace and fulfill their dreams. I promise you that I am with you; the Government of India is with you, the people of Manipur".
Besides cleverly translating the word Mani - to be gem; Modi described Manipur as a land of hope and promise. He also termed Manipur as a land of courage and valour and this should satisfy all ethnic groups – the Kukis, the Meiteis and Nagas. Another voice of optimism came from a Bengali woman (from Assam) who is married to a Meitei.
She says: “You cannot expect everything from Modi. The Meitei organisations like COCOMI wants National Register of Citizens... but it is true the social imbalance is very much there. On the other hand; the Kuki Zo people have welcomed recent Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement but they want UT as well”.
But PM’s statements and eloquently stated viewpoints may end up as only rhetoric as things on ground are far from normal.
The Kukis and Meiteis are unable to trust each other. In fact; Meiteis feel they have serious grievances which are being ignored by the centre. "You have blood in your hands"—was one of the placards carried by students of Manipur University.
They held a protest denouncing the Prime Minister's visit to Manipur.
"The Prime Minister did not visit Manipur when people here needed him the most. While he ignored the State for more than 2 years, the people here suffered. His visit now is very late,” said a student leader during the protest demonstration.
Finally we may say -- what Manipur needs is a good leadership who understands the plight of the people.
At present the state is under President’s Rule and to know what is at the end of the tunnel – all stakeholders should have three qualities –
Patience, Hard work – performance and the right sense of judgement.
Raj Dharma and relief camps
Modi met a large number of 'internally displaced' people.
Take a pause. Many years earlier he had visited a relief camp and man alongside him was Vajpayee. This was in Ahmedabad when Modi was Gujarat chief minister.
We are talking about 2002. April 4th -- The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had walked through the Shah Alam camp in Ahmedabad, through the intangible debris.
The camp was home to 9,000 displaced Muslims, refugees in their own country, victims, like countless others, of the religious violence that had gripped Gujarat since the killings of Kar Sevaks/Ram Bhakts in Godhra on February 27, 2002.
Vajpayee was accompanied by Narendra Modi - the man in a light green half-shirt slightly bearded. Vajpayee had made his famous speech: "Mein kaun sa chehra le ke videsh jaoon
(With what face I will now go abroad ... reference was to the indiscriminate killings).
ends
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