Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Address at Kangla Fort Fails to Meet Public Expectations in Manipur

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurated Projects in Manipur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much-awaited speech at Kangla Fort in Imphal was anticipated as a moment of hope — a chance to heal the wounds of Manipur’s long and bitter conflict. Instead, it turned out to be a disappointment that left many in the state feeling unheard, unseen, and sidelined.

For more than a year, violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities has torn Manipur apart. Thousands remain in relief camps, unable to return to their homes. The state has become a place where Meitei-dominated Imphal and Kuki-dominated Churachandpur are cut off from each other, and mistrust continues to define daily life. In such a setting, the Prime Minister’s silence on the core issue was not just striking — it was deeply disheartening.

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People came to Kangla Fort hoping to hear a message of reconciliation, a roadmap to peace, or at the very least an acknowledgment of their suffering. What they received instead was a lengthy recital of development projects, statistics, and policy achievements. Roads, infrastructure, GST reforms, and inaugurated buildings may bring progress, but they cannot replace the human need for safety, dignity, and coexistence.

The contrast was stark: while congratulating Nepal’s newly elected interim Prime Minister, Sushila Karki, and reflecting warmly on Nepal’s democratic journey, Mr. Modi failed to recognize the pain of the very people gathered before him. The symbolic gesture toward a neighboring country may serve diplomatic ends, but for those living in relief camps in Manipur, it was a bitter reminder of how far down the priority list their plight seems to fall.

Development without peace is meaningless. The inauguration of a new Civil Secretariat or a Police Headquarters cannot soothe families who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods to conflict. Manipur needs more than projects — it needs political courage, empathy, and concrete steps toward dialogue and reconciliation.

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The Prime Minister’s address at Kangla Fort was a missed opportunity to speak directly to the fears and aspirations of Manipur’s people. At a time when the state yearns for healing, silence on the conflict only deepens mistrust and despair. Leaders are remembered not just for the bridges they build and the offices they inaugurate, but for their willingness to confront painful truths and chart paths toward peace.

Manipur deserved that leadership today. Instead, it was left with numbers, ceremonies, and yet another reminder that development, in the absence of peace, is hollow.

This Article is Authored by Adnan Khan Yumkhaibam currently pursuing MA Political Science in Manipur University.