GUWAHATI: The Manipur leg of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s northeast tour, scheduled to begin on Sept 13, remains cloaked in secrecy, with no formal announcement from either the Centre or the state govt — a stark contrast to the publicised schedules in Mizoram and Assam.
While preparations are quietly intensifying in Imphal and Churachandpur, the lack of official confirmation has fuelled speculation and heightened tension in a state still reeling from the aftermath of ethnic violence and mass displacement.
Modi will begin his two-day trip in Mizoram on Sept 13, where he is set to inaugurate the Bairabi-Sairang railway line, connecting the state capital Aizawl to the national rail network for the first time.
His next stop, though not officially announced, is expected to be a tightly scheduled four-hour visit to Manipur — his first since the ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo tribals erupted in May 2023, claiming over 260 lives and displacing thousands.
A source said Modi’s proposed itinerary in Manipur includes public engagements beginning in Churachandpur, where he will address a gathering in one of the areas most affected by the violence. He will then proceed to Kangla Fort in Imphal, a site of deep historical and cultural significance for the Meitei community, for another public address.
Both venues are being meticulously prepared to host thousands, reflecting a dual outreach to the two major communities impacted by the conflict. All members of the legislative assembly have been invited, pointing to a message of political inclusivity.
Following his public engagements, Modi is likely to interact with families displaced by the violence, although it remains unclear whether he will physically visit relief camps.
His agenda also includes the inauguration of a new police headquarters and the Manipur secretariat building, along with laying foundation stones for future development projects.
Security has been vastly intensified, with combing operations in sensitive areas, preventive detentions, drone surveillance, and multi-agency coordination to ensure a peaceful visit.
The PM will then depart for Guwahati, where he will attend the birth centenary celebration of Bhupen Hazarika at a public event.
On Sept14, Modi is scheduled to travel by helicopter to Mangaldai in Assam’s Darrang district to lay foundation stones for a Rs 572-crore medical college and the Rs 5,700-crore, 121-km Guwahati Ring Road project. Later, he will head to Numaligarh in Golaghat district to inaugurate the country’s first bamboo-based bio-ethanol refinery, built at a cost of Rs 4,200 crore at the Numaligarh Refinery. He will then proceed to Jorhat, from where he will fly back to New Delhi on the evening of Sept 14.
Prabin Kalita is a journalist at The Times of India and is curren...
Read MorePrabin Kalita is a journalist at The Times of India and is currently the Chief of Bureau (northeast). He has been reporting in mainstream Indian national media since 2001. He has been a field journalist reporting gamut of issues from India’s northeastern region and major developments in neighbouring countries like Myanmar, China, Bhutan and Bangladesh concerning India and northeastern region. He has been covering insurgency—internal and cross-border, politics, natural calamities, environment etc. He is a post-graduate in Geological Sciences from Gauhati University.
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