Indian prime minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to troubled Manipur state on Saturday since more than 250 people were killed in ethnic clashes there two years ago.
Modi鈥檚 visit is part of a three-day tour that also includes Assam, which borders Bangladesh, and Bihar, India鈥檚 third-most populous state with at least 130 million people.
Bihar is a key electoral battleground ahead of polls slated for October or November, the only state in India鈥檚 northern Hindi-speaking heartland where Modi鈥檚 Bharatiya Janata Party has never ruled alone.
It is also India鈥檚 poorest, and Modi was set to unveil investments worth $8 billion, a package that includes agricultural projects, rail links, road upgrades and an airport terminal.
Manipur in the northeast has been bitterly divided since May 2023, when violence broke out between the mainly Hindu Meitei majority and the largely Christian Kuki community.
The violence has also displaced tens of thousands of people who are still living in makeshift camps established by the government.
鈥業n order to bring life back on track in Manipur, the government of India is making all possible efforts,鈥� Modi told a gathering of thousands in Churachandpur, a Kuki-dominated town.
鈥業 promise you today that I鈥檓 with you. The government of India is with the people of Manipur,鈥� Modi said, while also appealing 鈥榯o all groups to take the path of peace for realising their dreams鈥�.
Modi was also scheduled to address a rally at Imphal, the Meitei-dominated capital of the state.
The premier last visited the state 鈥� bordering Myanmar and 1,700 kilometres from New Delhi鈥攊n 2022.
The Hindu nationalist leader inaugurated development projects worth more than $960 million, including five highways and a new police headquarters.
Manipur鈥檚 former chief minister, N Biren Singh, from Modi鈥檚 BJP, resigned in February after criticism he failed to stop the bloodshed there.
The state of nearly three million people has since been ruled directly from New Delhi.
Tensions between Meiteis and Kukis, rooted in competition for land and government jobs, have long simmered in the region.
Rights groups accuse political leaders of fuelling the divisions for their own gain.