"Violence Engulfed This Place, Peace Must For Progress": PM Modi In Manipur
"Violence Engulfed This Place, Peace Must For Progress": PM Modi In Manipur
M.U.H
13/09/202517
A new dawn is knocking on the doors of Manipur, assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrived in the state Saturday, his first visit since ethnic violence erupted in state in May 2023.
"The land of Manipur is a land of hope and aspiration. Unfortunately, violence had cast its shadow on this beautiful region. A short while ago, I met those affected who are living in relief camps. After meeting them, I can say with confidence that a new dawn of hope and trust is rising in Manipur," said PM Modi, addressing people in Churachandpur.
Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur in 2023 between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the Kuki tribes. Over 250 people were killed in the violence.
Longstanding tensions between the two groups revolve around competition for land and public jobs, with rights activists accusing local leaders of exacerbating ethnic divisions for political gain.
Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur during the initial outbreak of violence in 2023, which displaced around 60,000 people from their homes, according to government figures. Thousands of the state's residents are still unable to return home owing to ongoing tensions.
The Prime Minister underlined that the central government is making efforts to "bring life back on track" in the violence-hit state.
"For development to take root anywhere, peace is essential. In the past 11 years, many conflicts and disputes in the Northeast have been resolved. People have chosen the path of peace and given priority to development... We are satisfied that recently in the hills and valley, negotiations have taken place for agreements with different groups. These are part of the efforts of the Government of India in which work is being done to establish peace while giving importance to dialogue, respect, and mutual understanding. I would appeal to all organisations to move forward on the path of peace and fulfil their dreams. I am with you, the Government of India is with the people of Manipur..." said PM Modi.
The Prime Minister's speech was heavy on development - a new airport in Imphal, the new highways, the rail and road connectivity, the Railways project to connect Jiribam with Imphal, medical colleges, among others.
"We are going to become the world's third-largest economy very soon... There was a time when decisions made in Delhi took decades to reach here. Today, our Churachandpur, our Manipur, are progressing together with the rest of the nation," said PM Modi.
The Prime Minister said his government announced the construction of pucca houses for the poor across the country and Manipur too has benefited.
"Nearly 60,000 houses have already been built here, giving thousands of families a life of dignity and security," he said.
"In the past years, more than 15 crore countrymen have received the facility of water from taps. In Manipur, until 7-8 years ago, water came through pipes in only 25-30 thousand houses. Today, more than 3.5 lakh houses here are receiving the facility of water from taps..." said PM Modi.
Hours ahead of the PM's visit, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the trip is "tokenism" and "grave insult" to people of the state.
"Narendra Modi ji, your 3-hour pit stop in Manipur is not compassion -- it's farce, tokenism, and a grave insult to wounded people. Your so-called roadshow in Imphal and Churachandpur today, is nothing but a cowardly escape from hearing the cries of people in relief camps!" Mr Kharge posted on X.
Earlier on Friday, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had downplayed the trip, saying it's "not a big deal" and that the central issue facing the country is "vote chori (vote theft)".
"Manipur has been in trouble for a long time and the PM has decided to go there now. So that's not a big deal. The main issue today in India is vote chori," said Mr Gandhi, who has visited the state thrice since the outbreak of violence.
