Amit Shah To Visit Manipur In October Amid NRC-Census Debate

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Manipur in the first week of October, during which he is expected to lay the foundation stone for a medical college in Senapati district and oversee other development projects. The proposed visit was finalised during Shah's meeting with Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday, according to the Chief Minister's Secretariat.

The visit comes at a politically sensitive time for Manipur, where demands for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census have gained momentum. Shah also conveyed during the meeting that the Centre would work to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the state. The proposed engagement is expected to draw attention to both development priorities and ongoing political concerns.

The state cabinet recently approved the establishment of Senapati Medical College in the predominantly Naga-inhabited Senapati district. The project is expected to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in the hill district, expand access to medical education and create employment opportunities. During his October visit, Shah is expected to lay the foundation stone for the project as part of the government's development programme.

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Shah's proposed return is also significant as it would be his first visit to Manipur since April 15, 2024, when he addressed an election rally in Imphal. His previous extended visit took place from May 29 to June 1, 2023, shortly after ethnic violence broke out in the state. During that visit, he met representatives of communities, political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders as the Centre attempted to address the escalating situation.

The NRC-before-Census demand has since emerged as a major issue, with supporters arguing that identification of genuine Indian citizens should precede the Census and subsequent delimitation exercise. Manipur legislators and a delegation representing 14 civil society organisations have travelled to Delhi to raise the demand with Union ministers and Central officials. The issue has become a significant point of political and civil-society engagement, with different communities expressing varying concerns over citizenship identification, population data and political representation.

The proposed October visit therefore comes at a crucial juncture for Manipur, where the government is also pointing to improvements in road connectivity and development activity as signs of gradual normalisation. The Chief Minister's Secretariat said Shah praised efforts to restore bus services and facilitate movement along National Highway-2. His visit will provide an opportunity for the Centre to engage directly with the state's development needs while addressing the wider concerns surrounding the NRC, Census, delimitation and the restoration of public confidence.

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