‘No red carpet for PM Modi’: AMUCO says Manipur visit aimed at credit, not crisis solution

The All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO) president Nando Luwang has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s September 13 visit to the state is “not welcome,” arguing that it is aimed at inaugurations and foundation-laying for projects to gain credit ahead of local body elections rather than addressing the state’s two-year-old conflict.

Speaking at a press conference, Luwang stressed that had the Prime Minister visited earlier, either before the crisis or soon after it began, people would have “rolled out the red carpet.” 

Instead, he said, the people of Manipur have endured years of pain and suffering without meaningful intervention.

“We don’t expect anything from him. For more than two years he has not taken any necessary action to solve the problem or bring a lasting solution,” Luwang said. 

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He added that the brief visit, expected to last only a few hours, is disconnected from Manipur’s pressing issues and driven by electoral calculations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s itinerary for his Manipur visit has been finalised, marking his first trip to the state since ethnic violence broke out more than two years ago.

Officials said the prime minister will begin his tour in Churachandpur (CCpur), where he is scheduled to lay foundation stones for development projects and meet people affected by the violence. 

From there, he will travel to Imphal, where he will address a public gathering at Kangla Fort and inaugurate and lay foundation stones for multiple initiatives.