Imphal: President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to undertake a two-day visit to Manipur on December 11-12 and will participate in the 86th Nupi Lal Day observance at the Nupi Lal Memorial Complex in Imphal, officials said on Wednesday.
Hectic preparations are underway in Manipur’s capital, Imphal, for President Murmu’s two-day visit from Thursday (December 11), with various departments and agencies coordinating closely for the high-profile programme.
On Thursday, on arrival at Imphal, the President will be accorded a guard of honour and subsequently, she will visit the historic Imphal Polo Ground (Mapal Kangjeibung) to witness a polo exhibition match. Last month, the seven-day 15th Manipur International Polo Tournament was held at the Imphal Polo Ground (Mapal Kangjeibung), which is regarded as one of the oldest polo grounds in the world.
On Thursday evening, the President will attend a civic reception to be hosted by the Manipur government in her honour at the City Convention Centre, Imphal. The President will also lay foundation stones and inaugurate various developmental projects on the occasion to underline the Centre’s focus on the region.
On December 12, the President will visit the Nupi Lal Memorial Complex at Imphal and pay her respects to the brave women warriors of Manipur. Later, at Senapati, a Naga-inhabited district, she will address a public function, during which she will lay foundation stones and inaugurate various projects for the district.
As part of the President’s visit, both sides of the 7-km road from Imphal’s Bir Tikendrajit International Airport to the Nupi Lal Memorial Complex are being repaired, repainted and adorned with colourful flags and other materials.
Big banners welcoming the President have also been put up in various places on the road towards the airport to greet her convoy.
Commemorated on December 12 every year, Nupi Lal refers to two women-led movements, held in 1904 and 1939, protesting British colonial policies and asserting the rights and dignity of Manipuri women.
Meanwhile, the President’s visit will be the second high-profile visit to Manipur in three months, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on September 13.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Manipur visit on September 13, had said that the Union government is constantly making efforts for the state’s development as “Viksit Bharat” will be further reinforced with “Viksit Manipur”.
He said that any kind of violence in Manipur is unfortunate, as it has rich and historic traditions for fighting against injustice. In Imphal, from the historic Kangla Fort, the Prime Minister inaugurated 17 infrastructure projects with a total investment of Rs 1,200 crore.
Those 17 projects, which the Prime Minister virtually inaugurated in Imphal, include Manipur Bhawan at New Delhi’s Dwarka and at Salt Lake City in Kolkata, the Civil Secretariat, the new Police Headquarters and the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) building at Mantripukhri in Imphal West district, besides Ima Markets (all-women markets) at four locations (Tengnoupal, Noney, Pallel, Moirang).
The Prime Minister also laid foundation stones for 19 development projects worth Rs 7,300 crore for different parts of Manipur from the Peace Ground in Churachandpur, a tribal-inhabited district in the hill areas of the state.
(IANS)
