PM interacts with displaced Kukis, Meiteis during visit to strife-torn Manipur

Imphal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with a section of the people belonging to the two warring communities, Kuki and Meitei, who were displaced due to the ethnic violence in Manipur, officials said.

Modi listened to the concerns of the families of internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the historic Kangla Fort complex in Imphal and Peace Ground in Churachandpur, and assured them of the Centre’s commitment to restore peace and normalcy in the state, they said.

"A short while ago, I met the affected people at a relief camp. After meeting them, I can say with confidence that a new dawn of hope and trust is rising in Manipur," Modi said in Churachandpur.

In a post on X, Raj Bhavan in Imphal said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Churachandpur and Imphal, assuring them of the Government of India’s unwavering support and commitment to ensure peace and stability in Manipur." More than 60,000 people, nearly 40,000 from the Kuki Zo community and around 20,000 Meiteis, have been displaced due to the ethnic violence.

While many of the displaced people have moved outside the state, the majority of them have been living in relief camps in poor living conditions with no privacy and no sources of income.

The government has been trying to uplift the lives of the IDPs in the state with skill development programmes, including candle and incense making, the officials said.

Over 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless after ethnic violence broke out in the state in May 2023.