Modi’s Three-Day Northeast Tour: Development Drive Amid Ethnic Tensions

Prime minister Narendra Modi paid the first open visit in two years to Manipur - a state plagued by ethnic violence - in a three-day Northeast tour (Sept 13-15, 2025). Following the killing of tens of thousands of people including over 260 of their citizens by hill tribes against valley communities in May 2023, Manipur is a state where clashes between hill tribes and valley communities are the order of the day. The situation was still in high suspense: Imphal and the neighboring places were heavily guarded. Itinerary beside Mizoram, Manipur and Assam On 13-14 Sept Modi planned to visit the Combined Commanders’ Conference, Kolkata and visit Bihar on 15 Sept. He has altogether opened up the infrastructure and energy projects of approximately 71, 000-72,000 crore (approximately 8-9 billion dollars) in the region.

On Sept 13, Modi inaugurated the first railway in Aizawl in Mizoram. When 8,070-crore BairabiSairang rail-line made mating of capital with India railway and members of the state assembly honored it as a historic day, he was virtually dedicating it. He inaugurated 3 new expresses between Aizawl and Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata. Also laid reproductions of the prime minister were road and energy initiatives (a town bypass road, an LPG facility, a sports hall and new schools): the prime minister underlined the idea of putting many of the states of the Northeast into a rail map of India. These actions were packaged in the name of rectifying years of historical negligence: he claimed that he has made the Northeast the engine of Indian growth in his tenure.

In Manipur (Septe 13), Modi divided his day in Kuki dominated hills (Churachandpur) and Imphal Valley dominated by Meitei. In a speech to a mob, he welcomed it by restating the fact that the Government of India was with you, and that the Centre was already trying its level best to get things back on track. He also provided the groundwork to new highways, women hostels and government offices - a modern civil secretariat, and a new police headquarters at Imphal. Instead he made 7,000 more new houses promises to the local families who were deprive of their homes during the clashes. Modi confronted the conflict scenes tactfully calling upon all communities to adopt peace to make their dreams come true so as to build further the bridge of peace between hills and valley. Secondly, he recognized Manipur as a land of hope and aspiration, many years form its history damaged by violence. an announcement of an inclusive development promise after two years on President rule.

At Guwahati on Sept 14 in Assam, Modi first paid a visit to the centenary celebrations of the singer Bhupen Hazarika to focus on the cultural attendant of Assam. After that, he opened up projects valued to 18530 crores in the state. These comprise a new medical college, medical hospital at Darrang, Guwahati Ring Road and a large Bridge at Brahmaputra, and energy undertakings at Numaligarh refinery. He also inaugurated the first bioethanol based on bamboo plant in the country, which was in Numaligarh and it highlights a green-energy initiative. He also unveiled a basis of top petrochemical plant of polypropylene, claiming that they would increase industry in Assam, prompt the growth of the state and enable new prospects of the farmers and young people. Modi presented these investments in the context of India confirming itself as self-reliant. He remembered his project: Samudra Manthan and declared another National Deepwater Exploration Mission to reach oil and gas in the deep seas of India. Sept 15 he visited Kolkata where he inaugurated the 16 th combinations conference of the armed forces of India.

The last leg was Bihar on Sept 15, which is a state that is to go to elections later this year. At Purnea district he opened the new airport terminal and prepared announcements estimated to cost about 36,000 crore project. To provoke Bihar makhana (foxnut) farmers, he initiated a so-called National Makhana Board with a budgetary basis previously planned in 2025. According to the government this will turn Bihar into a national makhana center where it would be hot-processed and exported and farm incomes would grow. His other responsibilities included opening ten thousand plus rural households (PMAY housing schemes) and subsidies of women organizations in the area.

Political Situation and Reception: BJP attempts to establish itself better in the Hindi-speaking East and Northeast and political chances ahead of a high-stakes election, comes just before the tour. The ruling coalition of Bihar aims at fighting off the congress-RJD gains in the state election. In the local reactions, there was both reaction. The prime minister was widely welcomed by crowds - Modi does not fail to mention that he always gets unprecedented love and blessings in the North East. He made local welfare measures (Poor housing and the like) and denounced past regimes with their policy of appeasement in consequences. Nevertheless, those in Manipur who opposed the activists termed his visit as a mere political ruse and some pundits forewarned that no development lure could help to eradicate the conflict except that greater ethnic grievances and equity concerns were addressed.

Impact and Outlook: The infrastructure and investment mega-drive is supposed to affect the economic activity and integrate the Northeast better into an Indian national network, which is a long-term Delhi part of an Indian national strategy known as Act East. The increased connectivity should be received due to new rail connections and the highways, projects in the energy and industry sectors should provide employment and development. The state prepared the tour as a marker to close gaps in the backlog: "Insofar that I am going to the North East, he heard that I am experiencing unprecedented love, he said, underlining that poor people and poor area must not be left in the backyard. Indian politics will be judged on whether these announcements result in permanent stability- at least in violence-torn Manipur- whether political reconciliation and attempts to build trust will happen in the months to come.