Manipur’s Fragile Calm Faces New Challenge Ahead of PM Modi’s Proposed Visit
Manipur is on edge as the state government intensifies security and political outreach ahead of PM Modi's proposed visit, amid revived questions over the state's long-running insurgency.
Imphal : Manipur is on edge as the state government intensifies security and political outreach ahead of a possible visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While officials highlight steady gains—recovery of looted weapons, fresh arrests and an extension of Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with several armed groups—a sharp statement from the Coordination Committee (CorCom) has revived questions over the state’s long-running insurgency.
Senior officials said security forces have stepped up operations to retrieve arms looted during last year’s ethnic clashes. “Weapons recovery and arrests are essential to prevent fresh violence,” a senior police officer told media , adding that quiet negotiations with community leaders and insurgent intermediaries are under way to “create a conducive atmosphere” for the PM’s visit.
CorCom, an umbrella organisation of valley-based insurgent outfits including UNLF, RPF/PLA, PREPAK and KYKL, issued a statement late Wednesday rejecting Delhi’s “peace narrative” and reiterating its demand for “sovereignty” — a long-standing grievance dating back to Manipur’s contested merger with India in 1949.
The timing of the statement—days before the proposed visit—has been interpreted by security analysts as a calculated move to question the Centre’s claims of stability and to shift the discourse from ethnic reconciliation to an “unfinished insurgency”.
Officials in Imphal and Delhi acknowledged that the Centre’s “Act East” policy hinges on sustained calm in the Northeast. “The insurgent message complicates India’s regional outreach,” a senior Union Home Ministry official said, citing concerns over possible cross-border linkages with Myanmar.
Analysts also cautioned that while extending SoO agreements may prevent immediate flare-ups, it risks alienating groups left out of the deals. “Security gains address symptoms, not the root causes,” said a former intelligence officer.
The Manipur government is preparing an elaborate security plan for Modi’s visit, though dates are yet to be finalised. “We are confident of ensuring the Prime Minister’s safety,” a state home department official said.
Whether New Delhi can turn the current fragile calm into a durable peace—or insurgent groups succeed in reminding the world that Manipur’s conflict remains unresolved—will become clearer in the coming weeks.