Prime Minister Modi’s Manipur Visit: A welcome initiative, but is it too late?

Narendra Modi addressing a public meeting at Manipur’s Churachandpur, on September 13, 2025.

The Manipur crisis resembles a Pandora’s box that demands profound introspection, historical analysis, and an understanding of the deep-seated fears that have driven communities to the brink of mutual annihilation. This is not merely a law & order problem but a complex web of ethnic divisions where communities remain at daggers drawn, unwilling to engage or accommodate each other for fear of losing their lives, livelihoods, and very existence.

More than 60,000 people have been displaced from their homes, now languishing in relief camps that barely provide the basic necessities for survival, let alone dignified human living. The administrative machinery’s efforts to facilitate their return have moved at a glacial pace, hampered by the sheer complexity of the underlying issues.

The return of displaced persons to their original homes remains a distant dream. The security environment and pervasive distrust make survival the primary concern. Buffer zones now separate Kuki-Zo and Meitei areas, heavily guarded by security personnel – a stark testament to the geographical and emotional chasm between communities.

The Meiteis find themselves confined to the valley, while the Kuki-Zo people have lost access to Imphal. Communities cannot cross these buffer zones and live in artificially created enclaves, cut off from their homes in both valley and hills. This enforced segregation has created a state within a state, where normal life has become a casualty of ethnic mistrust.

Failed Attempts at Normalcy

The Centre’s attempts to enforce free movement through state highways following the imposition of president’s rule on February 25 this year came to naught when violence erupted in Kangpokpi district on March 8. Clashes between Kuki-Zo activists and security forces escorting a state transport bus from Imphal demonstrated how fragile any semblance of normalcy remains.

The recovery of looted arms from state armouries presents another critical challenge. While officials claim that half of the stolen weapons have been recovered – a positive development – the other half remains with anti-national elements. Until all looted arms are retrieved, the spectre of renewed violence will continue to loom large over the state.

The Myanmar Connection

Manipur’s highly porous 398-kilometre border with Myanmar has become a flashpoint in the ethnic conflict. The Meiteis allege that illegal immigration of Chin people from Myanmar is a major cause of unrest in the state. In response, the Centre has scrapped the free movement regime with Myanmar and announced plans to fence the entire border.

However, this decision creates its own dilemmas. While fencing may curb illegal cross-border immigration and infiltration, it raises concerns among the Kuki-Zo and Naga communities, who have relatives across the border. They fear that fencing will create a permanent physical barrier, separating them from their kith and kin on the Myanmar side.

The situation is further complicated by the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, which has seen thousands of people, including security personnel, seeking refuge in Indian territory. The collapse of Myanmar’s administrative structure along the border has made effective border management even more challenging.

Modi’s Balancing Act: A Ray of Hope?

The long-overdue visit of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, finally took place on September 13 – nearly 2.5 years after the ethnic violence erupted in the state. In a carefully choreographed balancing act, Modi visited both Meitei-dominated Imphal and Kuki-dominated Churachandpur, sending a clear message about the government’s intent to restore peace and initiate balanced development across the state.

The prime minister laid the foundation stone for development projects worth ₹4,300 crore in Churachandpur and inaugurated projects worth ₹1,200 crore in Imphal. This gesture certainly injected positivity into the situation and conveyed the message: “I am with you, and the government of India is with you.”

Modi’s messaging sets the tone and provides a roadmap for officials to follow in their peace-building efforts. It also offers people on both sides a glimmer of hope. However, the state’s problems are intricate and require delicate handling that rises above political mathematics and considerations.

Building Bridges

The governor’s administration must delve into the details of people’s concerns on both sides of the geographical divide. Only by demonstrating the administration’s neutral intent in restoring peace can the continued cycle of insecurity and instability be broken.

What concrete steps can bridge the trust deficit between communities, end instability, and create conditions for displaced people to return to their homes while dismantling buffer zones? The answer lies in small, incremental trust-building measures implemented over time.

The first step in trust-building must be healing the scars of people on both sides who lost loved ones in the violence. This requires bringing perpetrators of heinous crimes to justice through fast-track investigations and trials. Justice delayed has indeed become justice denied in Manipur, and this must change immediately.

The next crucial step is encouraging inter-community dialogue. Peace in Manipur will remain tenuous without substantial and convincing engagement between the warring communities. Currently, both Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities are heavily armed, with no dialogue between them. Even the Ministry of Home Affairs engages with both groups separately.

The ministry recently renewed the SoO (suspension of operations) agreement with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, emphasizing Manipur’s territorial integrity. However, Meitei groups objected to the pact, terming it as legitimizing “narco-terrorists”. Meanwhile, despite the clause on territorial integrity, Kuki-Zo groups continue demanding Union territory status with a separate legislature, casting doubt over the agreement’s effectiveness.

The way forward lies in pushing for inter-community dialogue mediated by the Union home ministry, the governor’s administration, and civil society groups acceptable to both sides. Only after successful inter-community dialogue can the dismantling of buffer zones and facilitation of free movement become possible.

Red Flags

Several red flags threaten to derail government efforts at peace-building and the prime minister’s initiative to foster peace and development.

The most significant threat comes from the unrecovered looted arms still in circulation. These weapons have the potential to reignite violence at any moment, undermining all peace initiatives.

The second red flag is the slow pace of investigations into violence and heinous crimes, testing the patience of citizens on both sides, especially the youth. Political parties and politicians across the spectrum may exploit these vulnerabilities to serve their narrow political ends.

Manipur has been under president’s rule since February, and this arrangement must continue until stability returns and peace is restored. The growing clamour by some elements for the restoration of popular government, citing public demand and pressure, must not be entertained until genuine peace and order are established in the state.

The state’s democratic deficit cannot be addressed while communities remain at war with each other. Any premature restoration of elected government could potentially be exploited by political actors to further inflame tensions.

It’s Never Too Late

The prime minister’s visit, though belated, serves as a welcome omen for the violence-riddled state’s journey toward peace and development. The governor’s administration and the Union home ministry must now capitalize on the environment of positivity created by Modi’s visit to craft a workable, mutually acceptable solution to the key issues plaguing Manipur.

In politics, as in conflict resolution, it is never too late to make meaningful change. The same applies to Manipur – it is never too late to restore peace and order through sincere, all-encompassing efforts that address the root causes of the conflict rather than merely its symptoms.

However, this window of opportunity must be seized quickly. The people of Manipur have suffered enough. They deserve leaders who can rise above narrow political considerations and work toward sustainable peace that ensures the state’s unity while respecting the legitimate aspirations of all communities.

The road to peace in Manipur will be long and arduous, requiring sustained effort, political will, and most importantly, the courage to make difficult compromises. But with the prime minister’s renewed commitment and a clear roadmap for action, there is finally reason for cautious optimism in India’s northeastern frontier.

^Disclaimer:^{The views expressed in the article are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of India Sentinels.}

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