Imphal, Sept 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur has drawn a warm welcome from many residents, but also stirred mixed reactions over what they see as a long-delayed arrival.
“PM Modi has come to Manipur late, after three years of conflict. Still, his visit gives us hope that peace will finally return to a state that has suffered the most,” said Sriram Prasad, a resident, speaking to Hub News.
In fact, it was raining heavily as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Manipur’s Imphal on Saturday, his first visit to the state since ethnic violence broke out in 2023. Officials informed the Prime Minister that the weather was not conducive to helicopter travel to Churachandpur because of the rain. The rally venue was about 1.5 hours by road.
“I salute the spirit of the people of Manipur. Even in such heavy rain, you came here in such large numbers. I express my gratitude to you for your love. My helicopter could not come due to heavy rain, so I decided to come by road. The scenes that I saw on the road today, my heart says that it was good that my helicopter did not fly today, and I came by road. The love and affection that everyone gave me while holding the tricolour in their hands throughout the way, I can never forget this moment in my life,” PM Modi told a gathering of thousands in Churachandpur.
Another resident added, “We welcome the Prime Minister to Manipur, and we hope that he will look after the state carefully. We just want everything to be good again.”
For some, the focus on development was encouraging but not enough. “I was fortunate to attend the meeting. The Prime Minister announced many initiatives, especially to address unemployment,” said R.K. Rumi Devi. “But while he spoke a lot about development, he said less about restoring peace in Manipur.”
At the rally, a school student expressed cautious optimism: “I feel really happy that he has taken this big step. We thank him for coming to Manipur. All we want is stability and the chance to return home safely.”
Others voiced frustration at the delay. “Most people say PM Modi came too late,” said one attendee. “But I believe if there is hope, there is a way. I thank the Prime Minister for taking steps toward peace, and we pray that normalcy will return to Manipur.”
The mixed reactions capture the mood in the state: relief that the Prime Minister finally came, appreciation for new investments, but also a strong message from the people — that reconciliation and peace remain the real priorities.
Also Read: PM Modi calls for harmony between hills and valley, inaugurates ₹1,200-crore projects in Manipur
Also Watch
Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.
Also, Follow us on-
Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub
Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020
Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub
Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub
