Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sudden decision to visit Manipur, after deliberately staying away for more than two and a half years of relentless violence and suffering, is nothing but a cruel joke on the people. Since May 3, 2023, Manipur has been torn apart by killings, rapes, displacement of over 70,000 people, and the burning of thousands of homes and places of worship. Yet during this period, Mr. Modi found time for foreign trips, election campaigns, and self-promotion — but not a single day for the people of Manipur. His silence and absence stand as one of the darkest betrayals of duty by any Prime Minister in Independent India.
While the state was burning, the BJP government under Biren Singh collapsed completely. It failed to prevent the looting of government armouries, failed to protect women, failed to restore law and order, and allowed society to fragment into mistrust and hatred. Instead of taking responsibility, the BJP clung to power, indifferent to the agony of the people.
Now, after 28 months, when the Prime Minister finally decides to come, the BJP is making grand preparations to welcome the very man who abandoned Manipur in its darkest hour. What are they celebrating? The deaths of hundreds? The trauma of women? The burning of homes? Or the fact that their Prime Minister refused to even acknowledge Manipur’s pain until now? This orchestrated welcome is an insult to every victim who has suffered because of BJP’s failures.
We demand the immediate dissolution of the Manipur Assembly and fresh elections under the supervision of the Election Commission of India. The people of Manipur do not need prolonged President’s Rule or the continuation of a failed BJP government. They need a legitimate, representative government chosen by the people, capable of restoring trust, rebuilding broken communities, and delivering justice.
Mr. Modi’s belated visit cannot erase his criminal neglect and arrogance. It cannot whitewash two and a half years of silence. Manipur does not need photo opportunities, propaganda shows, or BJP’s hollow theatrics. What it needs is accountability, healing, and a new democratic mandate.
The people of Manipur know the truth — that while they cried out for help, BJP and Modi looked the other way. No amount of red carpets, slogans, or managed welcomes can hide that reality.
