Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Imphal amid heavy rains on September 13, 2025, for his first visit to Manipur since the 2023 ethnic clashes. Torrential downpours turned Churachandpur’s streets into streams, dampening what was meant to be a festive display of development and reconciliation.
BY PC Bureau:
September 13, 2025: — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Manipur since the 2023 ethnic clashes unfolded under unrelenting rain, as he rescheduled his visit and landed in Imphal ahead of Churachandpur. Torrential downpours that turned roads into streams in Churachandpur and muted what was meant to be a vibrant show of reconciliation and development.
Rescheduling his visit, PM Modi landed in Imphal at 11.35 A.M. It is expected that he would take a road trip to Churahcnadpur, an hour’s journey.
The PM is set to lay foundation stones and inaugurate projects worth over ₹7,300 crore, but the celebrations have been tempered by waterlogged streets, sagging decorations, and crowds huddled beneath plastic sheets and makeshift shelters. Still, thousands braved the weather, underscoring the symbolic weight of the visit after two years of unrest.
READ: Rain and Thunder Play Spoilsport Ahead of PM Modi’s Visit to Manipur
Until Friday, the skies were clear, but overnight storms swept in, flooding streams and drenching relief camps. The Meteorological Department had warned of moderate rain, but the sheer intensity caught residents off guard. “The rain came out of nowhere, like tears for the wounds still fresh,” said a local from a relief camp, echoing social media posts that cast the weather as symbolic of unresolved grief.
The Imphal–Churachandpur highway and arterial routes quickly became quagmires, with vehicles skidding on slick surfaces and ambulances crawling through slush. Supply trucks carrying event materials were stranded, and volunteers reported makeshift barricades collapsing under the deluge. “If the PM’s roads can withstand this, they’ll withstand anything. But right now, it’s a battle just to reach the Peace Ground,” quipped a farmer.
Festivities Washed Out
Welcome arches, tricolour hoardings, and posters drooped under the rain, while workers scrambled to reinforce the main stage at Peace Ground. Only days earlier, miscreants had vandalized some of the decorations. Now, the rain seemed to finish the work, leaving muted colours and sagging banners. Volunteers, drenched but determined, swept water from the podium, remarking, “We’ve tied everything down tighter than our hopes for peace.”
As Modi prepared to land around noon to meet IDPs and address the assembly, the rain showed no sign of relenting. Yet, in a district scarred by violence and waiting for reconciliation, the downpour seemed less an obstacle than a backdrop to resilience. Churachandpur stood drenched—but unbowed.
