The prolonged crisis prevailing in Manipur and the plight of its citizens went unmentioned in the 137th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat broadcast today, which left many questioning the continued absence of the conflict-afflicted region in one of the most significant platforms of the Prime Minister to talk to the nation.
In the 145-line English transcript of the Prime Minister’s address provided by the Press Information Bureau, not even a single word was said about Manipur, its crisis, its displaced population or its challenges. The fact becomes more obvious in the light of the fact that the Prime Minister chose to use this platform to talk extensively on various issues including drugs, cleanliness, women’s empowerment, agriculture, space technology, local entrepreneurship and national events. In fact, he even narrated a success story from Nagaland, where flower farming had opened up avenues for an entrepreneur from Phek district.
The reference to Nagaland naturally draws attention to the conspicuous absence of Manipur. While the Prime Minister spoke of the potential of the North-East through the story of a young entrepreneur from Nagaland, the state next door, which has been living through one of the country’s most serious internal conflicts, remained outside the narrative.
Mann Ki Baat is not a formal policy statement, and the Prime Minister is not constitutionally required to address every ongoing issue in every episode. Yet the programme has evolved into an important avenue through which the Prime Minister communicates directly with citizens and highlights matters he considers nationally significant.
Against this backdrop, the silence on Manipur is difficult to ignore. For people who have lost homes, livelihoods, family members and years of normal life, even a brief acknowledgement of their suffering could have carried considerable symbolic significance.
The omission also raises a larger question: where does Manipur stand in the Prime Minister’s national narrative? If the North-East is being presented as an emerging region of opportunity, can that vision be complete while a state in the region continues to grapple with a devastating crisis?
The issue is not merely about a missing reference in a monthly radio programme. It is about recognition. At a time when people in Manipur continue to look towards New Delhi for political attention, reassurance and a pathway towards lasting peace, the absence of even a word from the Prime Minister risks deepening the perception that the state has been left outside the national conversation.
For Manipur, silence itself has become a message—and an unsettling one.