Pradeep C. Nair | As Manipur Rivals Tussle In State, Let’s Keep India’s Focus On Larger Picture

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur on Saturday, September 13, after the 29 -month clashes, was expected by both meitei and Kuki communities in the state. In Imphal, he addressed the Meitei audience in the historical Kangla Castle and described the events of 2023 and the next violence as “unfortunate ,, and emphasized the having a strong bridge between the people of the hills and the valley. He opened projects worth 1,200 RS and promised 7,000 new houses for internally displaced people after welcoming some. He underlined the role played by women in the forefront of the economy; Ima Keithel. He also emphasized the role of Manipur’s sons and daughters in Sindoor operation.

Prior to this, the Prime Minister visited Churachandpur, who saw the visits of a PM in 1971 (Indira Gandhi) and a pm sitting in 1988 (Rajiv Gandhi). There, he largely addressed the people of KUKİ on the ground of peace and threw a fundamental stone for more than one development project worth 7,300 RS, including highways and roads. Interestingly, he spoke for 20 minutes in Churachandpur and 23 minutes in Imphal, so he showed a balance and stressed the importance of both ethnic groups. In Churachandpur, he also met people, took into account his perturbations, and became sure of all possible help.

The problem about the Prime Minister visited the torn state too late and was said to be “very little to do” for the state that witnessed the violence cycles for almost two and a half years. However, it should be accepted that past events in the state cannot be taken back. More importantly, not only for two communities in Loggerheads, but also for the entire northeast region. The person also has to note the turmoil in Myanmar for more than four years, the turbulence in Bangladesh for the last 14 months, and more recently the KP Sharma in Nepal. They potentially affect the Northeast, which still comes from the uprising grain and is facing the cross -border movement of the militants, an increase in the entry of the refugees, an increase in the smuggling of drugs and other illegal goods, and the threats caused by the ethnic connections that challenge the very fiber and spirit of Manipur.

The polarization between Meiteis and Kukis was completed and apparently reached a return point. However, there are pipes in the wind; The meeting of the Ministry of Interior in Delhi in April 2025, leaders from both communities, albeit separately and made suggestions on the restoration of the normality. Even early this year, the members of both groups refused to be ready for any interview without considering their complaints; There was a separate administration request for Kukis, for Meiteis, the Manipur government was unilaterally withdrawn in February, as well as prohibiting the suspension of the suspension of the Status of ST. On September 4, Soo was extended during the negotiations between the center, the state government and the Kuki SOO groups. Soo rules are now more strict and dealing with a few concerns of Meiteis. Many Meiteis condemned the extension of SOO, but the opening of highways (a great demand of Meiteis) was accepted by the SOO extension by the SOO groups.

Nagas recently added a new dimension to the unrest in Manipur. Before the visit of the Prime Minister, they called for a “trade embargo” as a protest to scrape the free movement regime that allowed the center’s Indian-Miyanmar border and to scrape the free movement regime that allowed to travel up to 10 km from the border line divided by two countries. The Naga bodies carried out the embargo on all transit roads passing through the naga-conscience regions of the state. As a result, hundreds of trucks and tankers were stranded on the highways in the state. The forbidden remained in place between 8 and September 11, and was later called by Naga corpses. However, the threat of such a future “trade embargo” by the Naga organs continues.

The most important feature of the Prime Minister’s visit was not the infrastructure projects described by Mr. Narendra Modi, but during his visit, despite the opposition and protests of some groups, this visit was the healing touch of the public. However, these were a small minority and did not reflect the true feelings and desires of Manipur’s people. The commitment that the Prime Minister was with them gave the necessary assurance to people that they were looking for. Today, the greatest need in Manipur is the psychological and mental healing of thousands of traumatized people. This is perhaps the most important and challenging task. Without this, the polarization between the two communities will remain. Here, non -governmental organizations, young people, women’s organizations and well -intentioned neutral people are cutting their duties.

As a various nation with problematic boundaries in the north and west, it is our social assistance to Southeast Asian countries and Indo-Pacific to determine the future orbit of our economic welfare. Considering that Manipur’s geographical advantage will connect the state of the Asian Motorway and the Trans-Asian railway to Southeast Asia, it fulfills its promise of change as it has never before. In order to help Manipur in both psychological and physical recovery, this should keep this greater formal mind and ensure that the state has achieved the real potential of the state instead of trying to solve the points from the past.

The author is a retired lieutenant who is the former general manager of the Assam rifles and is widely serving in the Northeast.