A massive stage is being built at Kangla Fort in Imphal, and cleaning and painting works are underway in the area ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s likely visit to Manipur next week, officials said on Saturday.
Though there is no official confirmation yet, officials said the prime minister is expected to visit on September 13. If confirmed, this would be his first trip to Manipur since ethnic violence broke out between Meiteis and Kukis in May 2023.
“A grand stage is under construction at Kangla Fort in Imphal. Arrangements are being made to accommodate more than 15,000 people in front of the stage. Cleaning and painting activities inside the fort are also going on,” an official said.
Kangla Fort, considered the traditional seat of power of Manipur’s former rulers, is at the centre of these preparations. Officials added that materials for the stage are being brought in from outside the state, with over 100 labourers engaged in the work. Security has also been tightened, and all visitors entering the fort are being registered.
The route from Imphal airport to Kangla Fort is being spruced up as well. “Road medians on the seven-kilometre stretch are being repainted and trees trimmed,” another official said.
In Churachandpur too, arrangements are underway at the Peace Ground, sources confirmed.
A BJP leader in the state said, “We are yet to receive any official information on the PM’s visit. If he comes, we are going to ensure that Modi is given a grand reception.”
The opposition, however, has repeatedly criticised the BJP for the prime minister’s absence from the state despite over 260 deaths and thousands displaced in the ongoing ethnic violence.
Following Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s resignation earlier this year, Manipur has been under President’s Rule, with the state assembly kept in suspended animation until 2027.
