The President of India Droupadi Murmu during her maiden visit to Manipur on Thursday appealed to all to work for a situation "where every child feels safe, every women is empowered, every community feels included and every citizens moves towards a bright future”.

President Murmu addressing a civic reception at the City Convention hall here said Manipur is a land of resilience, courage and extraordinary culture and its people have contributed to the nation immensely in the form of armed forces, arts and culture, public services and sports.

The President also laid foundation stone for 14 projects worth Rs 1,180 cr and inaugurated 12 projects worth Rs 207 cr. She said the projects will improve the quality of life of the people of Manipur. The projects were related to infrastructure development, tribal development, drinking water, health, sports, and security. The projects will help in making a modern and inclusive Manipur, she further said.

The sports projects will generate employment and the handloom projects will change the life of the people, the President said. She further said that she was aware of the pain the people of Manipur have gone through due to unfortunate violence. She assured that taking care of the people of Manipur is the highest priority and the government stands with every affected family. The Indian government is fully committed to strengthen harmony, ensuring security and supporting Manipur in its journey towards prosperity, she said.

Equitable development can be seen in every corner of the state due to close coordination between state and central government and the hard work of the people, she added.

She said that she would meet and interact with internally displaced people during her stay in Manipur.

She further said that Manipur is the gateway to South East Asia and is known for its natural beauty, self empowerment, and women empowerment.

President Murmu also witnessed a polo match at the Imphal pologround, the oldest living pologround in the world. She said she was overwhelmed by the women polo players who exhibited skill, courage and strength. It was a joy to watch polo in the land where the game originated, she said.

She further said she will take part in Nupi Lal (women’s war) commemorative event which celebrate the valour of Manipur women who fought the colonial powers. The Women warriors of Manipur inspire every Indian she added.

She further mentioned about the biggest fresh water lake in the region the Loktak lake and the Keibul Lamjao the only floating national park in the whole world which is situated in the lake.

She also paid tribute to the Azad Hind freedom fighters who reached Moirang about 45 km from Imphal.

A cultural programme displaying the Classical Manipuri and other forms of dances were presented along with different folk dances of different communities of Manipur.

President Murmu who arrived here today afternoon was welcomed by Manipur Governor AK Bhalla and was given a guard of honour by Manipur women police.

Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place across the state particularly along the routes connecting the airport, Raj Bhavan, Pologround and the City Convention Centre. Additional checkpoints, patrolling units and surveillance measures have been activated to ensure a smooth and incident-free visit.

Even as the State rolled out the red carpet, the boycott and shutdown call by CorCom and MNRF affected normal life on Thursday. Nevertheless, authorities made sure that all necessary arrangements are in place for the successful conduct of the programmes of the President of India.