The Manipur government is preparing for a “proposed VVIP visit” in September, with the official communication, scale of preparations and the involvement of departments and agencies pointing towards a likely trip by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

If such a tour materialises, it will be Modi’s first visit to Manipur since it spiralled into the vortex of an ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos on May 3, 2023. That strife, continuing for 853 days, has claimed 260 lives, displaced around 60,000 and led to the imposition of President’s rule this February.

Several officials and BJP leaders said they, too, had heard about a possible Modi visit, but there is no official confirmation yet.

An official told The Telegraph that the helipads in Imphal and Churachandpur were being readied to receive “a VVIP”. The road from Imphal airport to Kangla is being repaired and sanitised.

“We are hearing that the Prime Minister will come here from Mizoram on September 13 and visit Imphal and Churachandpur. The helipads at both places are being readied, but there is no official confirmation except that a VVIP visit is impending. The level of preparations suggests that this VVIP could be the Prime Minister,” the official said.

Modi’s visit to Mizoram and Assam on September 13 and 14 has been confirmed.

A six-page official communique from the general administration department (GAD) to, among others, all departments, security agencies, airport authorities, the deputy commissioners of four districts, All India Radio, Raj Bhavan and the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd deals with the “proceedings of the preparatory meeting for the proposed VVIP visit on September 2025”.

Chief secretary P.K. Goel is quoted as stating that “the visit needs to be organised in a grand manner” and requesting “the secretary, GAD, to take forward the discussion”.

The communique mentions two venues — Kangla in Imphal and the Peace Ground in Churachandpur. Imphal is a Meitei-majority district, while Churachandpur is inhabited mainly by Kuki-Zos.

“All security arrangements as per Blue Book including installation of jammer, sanitisation and anti-sabotage checking of enroute and function venue at Kangla & Churachandpur…. Carcade arrangement including bullet-proof vehicles as per the movement plan in consultation with Special Protection Group team,” the GAD communique states.

Other decisions include repair of the helipads at both the venues by September 5, and the roads by September 7; arrangements for around 9,000 people attending the programme at Churachandpur and 15,000 at Kangla; and an instruction that “no senior officers are sent on leave/ training/ tour, etc., till 15th September”. Ten welcome gates are to be installed between Kangla and Churchandpur, 65km apart.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X: “It appears that the PM may finally summon up the courage and empathy to visit Manipur briefly on September 13. But that may be a case of TLTL — too little too late. Manipur erupted on May 3, 2023, when there was a so-called double-engine sarkar in the state.”

“Hundreds of people were killed. Thousands were displaced. Tens of thousands have been forced to live in relief camps. Social harmony has been completely destroyed. The environment is one of fear and suspicion. Yet the PM has remained silent. On Aug 1, 2023, the Supreme Court said there had been an absolute breakdown of the Constitutional machinery in the state. Yet the PM remained silent,” Ramesh said.

“The complete neglect of Manipur by the PM, combined with the loud-mouthed incompetence of the Union Home Minister, has deepened the pain, distress and agony of all communities of Manipur’s society,” he added.