Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making his first visit to Manipur since ethnic violence erupted there 28 months ago, sought to lay out a road map for the return of peace and prosperity to the state but left many people across the political spectrum disappointed on Saturday.

The dominant view was that his speeches had focused too narrowly on development while sidestepping the urgent need for concrete solutions to end the bitter conflict between Meiteis and Kuki-Zos, which has killed over 260 people and displaced 60,000.

The disappointment was palpable among those who attended Saturday’s rally at the Kangla Fort in Imphal, held amid a persistent drizzle.

From university students and retired teachers to government employees and BJP members, the sentiment was remarkably similar: that Modi, having made the trip to Manipur 864 days after the conflict began on May 3, 2023, had delivered an address that missed the mark.

‘Like prisoners’

Rabisana Thiyam, a Manipur University student of human rights whose mother is a Modi fan, summed up the frustration.

"It was not deep (Modi's speech). The ongoing conflict or our problems because of the unrest was, for all practical purposes, mentioned only in passing. He went to Nepal (in his speech) than dwell more on the unrest in Manipur. We are like bandis (prisoners) in our state. Can't move around freely. This is affecting students like us who do research. We are disappointed," she said.

M. Sanathoi Singh, a retired teacher from conflict-hit Bishnupur district, had similar concerns.

“I’m from an affected area bordering Churachandpur. We came here to hear about the crisis that has disrupted our lives, and what the road map is to settle it,” he said.

“There is no free movement. The IDPs (internally displaced persons) are still in the relief camps. He (Modi) did not address the crisis the way he should have. He focused more on development, which is the government’s responsibility, anyway. We expected something concrete.”

Narendra Modi greets supporters upon his arrival at a public meeting in Imphal, in the northeastern state of Manipur, India, September 13, 2025.

Manipur’s people are desperately seeking answers to several key questions:

• When will the two communities reconcile and live peacefully together again?
• When will people be able to move without fear across the state?
• How will the government ensure free movement between the hills (where the Kuki-Zos live with other tribes) and the Meitei-majority valley?
• What is the timeline for rehabilitating those still living in the relief camps?

Imphal resident L. Lamphel criticised the brevity and scope of the Prime Minister’s visit.

“Meeting a few IDPs will not provide a true picture of their suffering. He should have at least visited the relief camps and spent a night in Manipur. Such a whirlwind visit does not inspire confidence, because he came after 28 months,”he said.

Modi’s message

In his 23-minute speech at the rain-soaked Imphal rally, Modi acknowledged that the violence was “unfortunate”, given Manipur’s rich heritage, and called it “unfair towards our ancestors andfuture generations”.

He emphasised the government’s commitment to restoring peace and announced a ₹3,000-crore special package, including ₹500 crore specifically for thedisplaced.

“Our government is consistently working to restore peace and stability to Manipur, to protect the interests of the people here and to bring the lives of those forced to live in relief camps back on track,” Modi said.

He had struck a similar note earlier in Churachandpur, a Kuki-Zo stronghold where he laid foundation stones for development projects worth over ₹7,300 crore.

After meeting a group of displaced people, he declared that “a new dawn of hope and confidence awaits Manipur” and praised the recent efforts at a dialogue between different groups from the hills and the valley.

“I am pleased that, recently, dialogues have begun with different groups in the hills and the valley to reach an agreement for peace,” Modi said, urging all organisations to “move forward on the path of peace”.

Cross-party concern

The disappointment with Modi’s visit transcended political boundaries.

Congress MP from Inner Manipur, A. Bimol Akoijam, lashed out at Modi in a post on X: “ ... He has never acknowledged the unprecedented crisis in Manipur, including in his speeches today. No concrete and time-bound road map to resettle the IDPs or disarming or access to public facilities/assets such as highways! What a contempt!”

Congress legislature party leader Okram Ibobi Singh, a three-time chief minister, told a news conference: “His speech was most unfortunate. People expected he would say something concrete about the problems Manipur is facing. It was a normal speech.”

Even a BJP member privately admitted his dissatisfaction with Modi’sremarks.

The Kuki-Zo Council, a leading civil society organisation, welcomed Modi’s visit to Churachandpur. But the overall response suggested that people felt their immediate concerns about security, movement and rehabilitation had remained largely unaddressed.

At both places, Modi met displaced people who have been living in the relief camps and interacted with children.

The journey

Modi travelled about 60km by road from Imphal to Churachandpur after flying in from Mizoram. Heavy rain threatened to cancel both meetings, but the Prime Minister went on with both events before flying to Guwahati for another engagement.

Shutdown

Imphal was closed because of a shutdown call from the Corcom, an umbrella organisation of six valley-based rebel groups, in protest against the visit. A leading civil society organisation, the AMUCO, too had expressed unhappiness at the Prime Minister’s delayed visit.

Memorandum

The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a leading organisation of the Kuki-Zos engaged in talks with the Centre on resolving the Manipur strife, on Saturday, reiterated the community’s demand for a separate administration in the form of a Union Territory with a separate legislature in a memorandum to Modi for a lasting solution to the conflict.

The KZC revealed the memorandum soon after Modi attended his first of his two rallies during his five-hour whirlwind visit to Manipur at Churachandpur, a Kuki-Zo majority district. His second rally was in Imphal, a Meitei-majority Imphal West district.