New Delhi [India], September 14 : Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA KK Shailaja on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Manipur, but said that he should have come earlier, as it could have saved lives.
"We are very happy that the Prime Minister visited Manipur. However, he should have visited a little earlier. Some people's lives can be saved if he visits sooner," Shailaja told ANI.
During his visit, PM Modi appealed to various ethnic groups in Manipur to shun violence and work towards restoring peace in the state. He said that a new dawn of "hope and confidence" is emerging in the northeastern State.
This was PM Modi's first visit to Manipur since the ethnic conflict broke out in May 2023. The clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities have since left deep scars, damaging the state's economy, disrupting its social cohesion, and unsettling its politics.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore in Churachandpur. As part of his government's focus on inclusive and sustainable growth, PM Modi laid the foundation for the Manipur Urban Roads and drainage and asset management improvement project worth over Rs 3,600 crore.
He also laid the foundations for five National Highway projects worth more than Rs 2,500 crore, the Manipur Infotech Development (MIND) project, and the Working Women Hostels at nine locations across the state.
On Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's meeting with CPI (M) leaders, Shailaja said that it was a routine meeting. "This is a routine meeting. Every two months, we meet here. Central committee members of CPIM today discussed issues from the states and the policies we need to adopt next year, according to our last party conference, focusing on political matters... Tomorrow we are going to discuss the current political developments," she said.