Overview
- Bhagwat arrived in Imphal on November 20 for his first visit since the 2023 ethnic violence, with the state under President’s Rule and the Assembly in suspended animation.
- His schedule centers on closed-door interactions in Imphal with RSS karyakartas, entrepreneurs, youth and representatives of tribal communities, with no meetings listed with political leaders.
- The trip is framed as part of the RSS centenary outreach, with discussions on the five-point ‘Panch Parivartan’ agenda covering social harmony, family awakening, environmental protection, self-reliance and civic responsibility.
- Political watchers link the visit to recent ground assessments by BJP leaders B. L. Santhosh and Sambit Patra, with J. P. Nadda also slated to be in Imphal on November 21.
- In preceding Assam events, Bhagwat advanced an inclusive, civilisational definition of ‘Hindu’ and flagged demographic and security concerns, including calls for a balanced population policy and vigilance against illegal infiltration.