New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Manipur since the outbreak of ethnic violence in 2023, is facing significant challenges, with the United Naga Council (UNC) imposing an indefinite “trade embargo” on key highways, and an umbrella body of Meitei insurgent groups calling for a “total shutdown” on the day of his visit, September 13.The UNC’s embargo, which began at midnight on Tuesday (September 9), is a direct protest against the Union government’s decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar and fence the border. According to a report in The Indian Express talks between Governor Ajay Bhalla and UNC representatives to avert the blockade failed. “They verbally requested us to call off the embargo but we cannot do that,” UNC president Ng Lorho told the newspaper, confirming the embargo would be strictly enforced by volunteers.This new challenge from the Naga community adds another layer of complexity to a visit already framed by the starkly divided reactions of the warring Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities.The Co-ordination Committee (CorCom), a conglomerate of six valley-based Meitei insurgent groups, has called for a “total shutdown” to boycott the Prime Minister’s visit, accusing the Union government of mishandling the conflict. In contrast, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), an influential forum of Kuki organisations, has welcomed the visit as “rare and historic,” expressing hope that Modi will address their long-standing demand for a separate administration under the Indian Constitution.“We place our trust in your leadership to heal our wounds, restore our dignity, and safeguard the future of the Kuki-Zo people,” the KZC said in a statement.According to a tentative itinerary detailed in media reports, the Prime Minister is expected to address two separate public meetings. The first will be at the Peace Ground in the Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district, followed by a second gathering near the historic Kangla Fort in the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley.Sources indicate that Modi is likely to announce a rehabilitation package and meet with representatives of people displaced by the conflict, though he may not visit relief camps directly due to time and security constraints.The visit comes at a critical time for the state, which has been under President’s Rule since February. Despite repeated demands from civil society and opposition parties, this will be the Prime Minister’s first trip to Manipur since the violence erupted in May 2023. The Indian Express also reported that state authorities, led by Governor Bhalla, have been urging legislators to engage with their constituencies to minimise tensions ahead of the high-profile visit.While security officials remain hopeful that Kuki-dominated areas will remain peaceful, the twin challenges of the Naga trade embargo and the Meitei insurgent boycott have cast a significant shadow over the Prime Minister’s attempt to engage with the strife-torn state.