Manipur’s MMA athlete Chungreng Koren, after winning the interim bantamweight title at Matrix Fight Night 14 in Greater Noida last Saturday (March 9), requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit his state and restore peace.

During the post-fight interview following his victory over fellow Indian Mohammad Farhad at MFN 14, Koren became emotional as he revealed the dire situation in Manipur, where many lives have been lost since the violence erupted last year.

This is my humble request to Prime Minister Modi. Violence continues in Manipur, and it has been almost a year now. People are dying every day. Many are stranded in relief camps without proper food or water. Children are unable to attend school. We are worried about the future. After winning the title bout, Koren said, “Modiji, please visit Manipur once and restore peace in the state.”

During the election, both the opposition and the Congress party seized the opportunity to attack the Prime Minister’s BJP party after requests were made by MMA soldiers for an inquiry into the MEFN 14 incident.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi from Assam posted a video on Twitter and said, “This is not just one man’s voice but the voice of entire Northeast. Power, money, and drugs have blinded the BJP to the plight of the people in Manipur.”

Before this, several Olympic stars, including weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and boxer MC Mary Kom, appealed to the central government for assistance to the violence-affected state.

Since May last year, at least 219 people have been killed in caste violence in the state. Violence escalated on May 3 after the ‘Tribal Unity March’ was organized in the hilly districts in opposition to the demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meitei community.

While a section of the Kukis demanded separate administration or autonomy from the Manipur government, the Meitei group opposes it and has warned legislators against any such designs, urging them to thwart such efforts.

The Meitei people make up approximately 53% of Manipur’s population and are predominantly concentrated in the Imphal Valley, while the tribal communities, including Nagas and Kukis, constitute around 40% and primarily reside in the hill districts. The rest of the population comprises other communities.