“Your 3-hour PIT STOP in Manipur is not compassion — it’s farce, tokenism, and a grave insult to a wounded people”: Kharge
rime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made his first visit to Manipur since ethnic clashes between Kukis and Meiteis erupted in May 2023, appealing for reconciliation and unveiling development projects worth thousands of crores. While he sought to project the trip as a step toward healing, opposition leaders denounced it as a “farce” and accused him of neglecting the state for over two years. “Your three-hour pit stop in Manipur is not compassion — it’s farce, tokenism, and a grave insult to a wounded people,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
Heavy rain on arrival in Imphal forced the cancellation of Modi’s helicopter ride to Churachandpur and, determined to meet displaced families and address public gatherings, he instead travelled more than 90 minutes by road, officials said. In Churachandpur, the Prime Minister said that his government was making “every possible effort” to restore normalcy.
“We are moving forward with the goal of making Manipur a symbol of peace, prosperity, and progress. I assure you that the Government of Bharat, along with the Government of Manipur, will continue to cooperate in Manipur’s development, in resettling the displaced people at appropriate locations as soon as possible, and in establishing peace,” he said
“Our government is providing assistance to construct 7,000 new homes for displaced families. Recently, a special package of nearly Rs 3,000 crore has also been approved. Additionally, a provision of Rs 500 crore has been made specifically to help displaced persons. We are moving forward with the goal of making Manipur a symbol of peace, prosperity, and progress. I assure you that the Government of Bharat, along with the Government of Manipur, will continue to work together in resettling the displaced, restoring peace, and accelerating development,” he added.
The Prime Minister also laid foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore — ranging from urban road and drainage works to five new national highways, the Manipur Infotech Development (MIND) project, and women’s hostels — calling connectivity “vital for border regions like Manipur.”
Adding a personal touch, Modi shared a video of four schoolgirls performing Bharat Ki Beti during his visit, calling them his “young friends” and praising the state’s cultural vibrancy as a “pearl that will make India shine.”
Yet, the visit underscored unresolved tensions. The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) submitted a memorandum demanding a “lasting political solution” through the creation of a separate Union Territory with a legislature under Article 239A, arguing that hill-based Kuki-Zo communities could no longer live under “valley domination.”
The opposition mounted an all-out attack. Kharge said Modi’s brief stopover amounted to “tokenism” and a “grave insult” to victims, reminding him that “300 lives have been lost, 67,000 displaced, and 1,500 injured” since May 2023 while the PM undertook dozens of foreign trips.
“Your so-called roadshow in Imphal and Churachandpur today is nothing but a cowardly escape from hearing the cries of people in relief camps.
“864 days of violence: ~300 lives lost, 67,000 displaced, 1,500+ injured. You made 46 foreign trips since, but not a single visit to share two words of sympathy with your own citizens. Your last visit to Manipur? January 2022 — for elections! Your ‘Double Engine’ has bulldozed innocent lives; you and Home Minister Amit Shah’s incompetence and complicity were shielded by imposing President’s Rule in the state,” Kharge wrote on X.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the visit “should have happened much earlier” to prevent suffering, while party colleague K. C. Venugopal dismissed it as a “face-saving farce.” CPI(M) MP John Brittas called it “too late” but welcomed it as a step that might help restore trust. DMK’s Kanimozhi, meanwhile, alleged the timing was linked more to preparations for the 2027 assembly elections than genuine compassion.
