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Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday, marking their first face-to-face encounter in 18 months since ethnic tensions erupted in the northeastern state.

 

The meeting, which took place at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in central Delhi, occurred on the second day of Modi’s series of meetings with BJP chief ministers.

 

A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Singh had a private meeting with Modi that lasted for 15-20 minutes. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were also in attendance.

 

"The current situation in Manipur was discussed," the official said, adding that more details of the meeting might be shared in the coming days.

 

The significance of this meeting is heightened by the ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur since May 2023, which have claimed at least 225 lives and displaced nearly 50,000 people.

 

Despite a reduction in the intensity of the clashes, tensions remain high, with Kuki and Meitei communities largely segregated by security forces.

 

Biren Singh’s visit to Delhi included discussions with other senior BJP leaders, such as party president JP Nadda and several Union ministers. However, Singh did not publicly share photos or details of his meeting with Modi.

 

The two-day chief ministers’ conclave, which coincided with Singh's meeting with Modi, focused on the government’s "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) agenda. Modi emphasised the need for coordinated efforts between central and state governments to achieve development goals by 2047.

 

"The Prime Minister has instructed the chief ministers to ensure the saturation of central schemes, but without changing the basic design," said a second official familiar with the proceedings.

 

"States have been asked to utilise funds allocated to them for central schemes for 100% implementation without enhancing or diluting the scheme," he added.

 

Modi also highlighted the importance of public participation in welfare measures and reiterated the government's aim to make India a $5 trillion economy.

 

The conclave stressed the need to effectively communicate development projects to the public, leveraging both traditional and social media.

 

"There was a discussion on the need to ensure that the political messaging about development projects is conveyed to the people, not just through the media, but social media as well," the official added.

 

Chief Ministers Bhupendra Patel of Gujarat and Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, along with the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, addressed strategies to achieve the economic target. They discussed promoting tourism and employment opportunities through initiatives such as home-stays.

 

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a special invitee to the meeting, outlined the role states will play in implementing the New Education Policy. However, the official noted that there was no discussion on the recent controversy surrounding examination irregularities.

 

The conclave, attended by BJP president JP Nadda and senior cabinet members, is expected to be followed by further interactions between state and central leadership.