Amit Shah is set to visit Manipur in the first week of October, where he will lay the foundation stone of a medical college in Senapati and review development projects as the state grapples with a renewed NRC debate.
BY PC Bureau
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to visit Manipur in the first week of October, with the proposed trip coming at a politically sensitive time for the state. During his visit, Shah is expected to lay the foundation stone for a new medical college and review ongoing development projects, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said.
The decision was taken during Shah’s meeting with Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday. The Home Minister also assured the Chief Minister that the Centre remains committed to addressing the aspirations and concerns of the people of Manipur.
Shah’s proposed visit comes as the debate over updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the next Census gains momentum in the state. The Manipur Cabinet has recently approved the establishment of a medical college in Senapati district, a predominantly Naga-inhabited hill region. The proposed Senapati Medical College is expected to expand healthcare facilities, improve access to medical education and generate employment opportunities.
The October visit would be Shah’s first trip to Manipur since April 15, 2024, when he addressed an election rally in Imphal. His previous extended visit came from May 29 to June 1, 2023, shortly after ethnic violence erupted in the state. During that visit, he met representatives of different communities, political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders in an effort to address the escalating crisis.
The ethnic conflict that began in May 2023 has claimed at least 260 lives and displaced thousands. Following prolonged violence and the resignation of then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, President’s Rule was imposed on February 13, 2025. It was lifted almost a year later, on February 4, 2026, when Yumnam Khemchand Singh took charge as Chief Minister.
More than three years after the violence began, the political landscape remains deeply contested. While the state government has pointed to improving road connectivity and renewed development activity as signs of gradual normalisation, a contentious debate has emerged over the sequencing of the NRC, Census and delimitation exercises.
Those demanding an NRC before the Census argue that citizenship must first be established so that population data and the subsequent delimitation of constituencies reflect the genuine citizen population. The issue, once largely confined to protests and public meetings in Manipur, has now reached the political corridors of New Delhi.
A group of Manipur legislators has travelled to the capital to press the demand with Central leaders and is holding meetings with Union ministers. At the same time, a delegation representing 14 civil society organisations, led by convenor Shanta Nahakpam and comprising members from different communities, is also meeting Union ministers and Central officials.
Both delegations are seeking citizenship identification before the Census and delimitation exercises. Their parallel efforts underline the political importance of the issue while also highlighting the competing concerns that the Centre will have to navigate.
Any citizenship-verification exercise involving population data and political representation will require a lawful and transparent framework capable of addressing concerns across Manipur’s communities. While some political and civil-society groups insist on an NRC-first approach, others oppose such sequencing, making the issue particularly sensitive.
Against this backdrop, Shah’s proposed visit carries significance well beyond development announcements. The Chief Minister’s Secretariat said the Home Minister also praised the state government for restoring bus services and ensuring free movement along National Highway-2.
For ordinary residents, the return of affordable bus services after years of disruption is a tangible improvement. It provides an alternative to costly air travel and makes it easier for families, students, traders and workers to move between different parts of the state.
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The larger significance of Shah’s visit, however, will depend on whether it brings greater clarity and meaningful action on the issues that have brought Manipur’s representatives to Delhi. The immediate challenge for the government is to move beyond signs of temporary normalcy towards a more durable restoration of public confidence.
Shah’s return to Manipur therefore represents both an opportunity and a test: an opportunity for the Centre to engage directly with the state at a critical juncture, and a test of whether that engagement can move from assurances to implementation—from improved physical connectivity to sustained political dialogue and, ultimately, the rebuilding of trust.
The foundation stone at Senapati may mark the beginning of a medical college. But the more difficult foundation remains the rebuilding of trust, inclusion, dialogue and lasting peace in Manipur.
