By Sunita D
PM Narendra Modi made his first visit to Manipur on Wednesday after ethnic violence broke out in 2023. The state has been bitterly divided since May 2023, when violence broke out between the Hindu Meiti majority and the largely Christian Kuki community. The number of lives claimed has tolled nearly 250 till date.
“Manipur is the crown jewel adorning the crown of our Mother India. Any form of violence in Manipur is unfortunate. Therefore, we must keep taking Manipur forward on the path of peace and development, together,” PM Modi said in his speech at Imphal valley, Manipur.
Among the projects launched by PM Modi during his visit, two of them stand significant, the Urban Road Project worth Rs 3,600 cr and the Manipur Info-tech Development project worth Rs 500 crore. Modi claims that these projects will infuse new energy into Manipur’s bright future.
While the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) termed PM visits as “rare and historic”, the Manipur Congress President, Keisham Meghachandra, called it “merely symbolic”, and “not aimed at bringing peace and justice”.
Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of opposition, on the other hand, called out PM Modi’s road show as “Cowardly escape from hearing the cries of people in relief…”
Ahead of Modi’s visit, there was some confusion observed among the locals over the terms of his visit, said Jangmal Mangte, commander of the Sangaikot Village Volunteers unit maintaining law and order of the region (Quoted from The Quint). The confusion stemmed from a recent renewal of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement between the civil body Kuki-Zomi Council (KZC), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and nearly 24 armed insurgent groups led by the Kuki National Organisation (KNO).
SoO refers to the tripartite ceasefire agreement which focuses on paving the way for talks on the Kuki-Zo community’s demands.
Insiders claimed that the SoO was a key pre-requisite to Modi’s latest visit to Manipur. However, the delay along with the renewed terms of the agreement, have left both the communities sour in the mouth ahead of his visit.