The Supreme Court, amidst ongoing violence in Manipur and the resignation controversy surrounding Chief Minister Biren Singh, has directed the state government to submit an updated status report. The report should outline the measures taken to ensure rehabilitation and improve the law and order situation in the state, which has been affected by ethnic violence. The deadline for filing the report is Friday, July 7. The bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and including Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra, has scheduled a hearing for the batch of petitions related to the issue on July 10.
During the hearing, the bench instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state government, to include details in the report such as information on rehabilitation camps, the state of law and order, and the recovery of weapons. Mehta provided a brief overview of the deployment of security forces and the current status of law and order, mentioning that the curfew in the state has been reduced from 24 hours to five hours.
According to Mehta, various forces including civil police, Indian reserve battalions, and 114 companies of CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces) are deployed in Manipur. He cautioned senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who represents Kuki groups, against giving the case a communal angle and emphasized the need to address the real human beings affected by the violence.
Gonsalves argued that despite militants openly threatening to annihilate the Kukis during a news program, no action was taken against them. He alleged that the state sponsored the violence against the Kuki community. The Supreme Court is currently handling multiple pleas related to the situation in Manipur, including a petition by a ruling BJP MLA challenging the high court’s order granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. Another PIL filed by a tribal NGO seeks an SIT (Special Investigation Team) probe into the violence that has engulfed the state.
One of the NGOs, Manipur Tribal Forum, has approached the Supreme Court seeking Army protection for the minority Kuki tribals in Manipur and the prosecution of communal groups responsible for attacking them. On June 20, a vacation bench headed by Justice Surya Kant declined an urgent hearing on the plea, stating that it is an issue of law and order that should be addressed by the administration.
Gonsalves, representing the NGO, informed the court that despite assurances that no one would die, 70 tribals have lost their lives in the ethnic violence. The solicitor general opposed the request for an urgent hearing, stating that security agencies are working on the ground to restore peace and normalcy.
The main matter related to the Manipur High Court’s order granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community, which triggered the chain of violence in the state, is scheduled for a hearing on July 17 in the Supreme Court.
The clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities have resulted in more than 120 fatalities. The clashes initially erupted on May 3 after a Tribal Solidarity March was organized to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Meiteis make up around 53% of Manipur’s population and reside predominantly in the Imphal Valley, while tribal Nagas and Kukis constitute approximately 40% of the population and reside in the hill districts.
On March 27, the Manipur High Court ordered the state government to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks regarding the demand for Scheduled Tribe status for the Meitei community.
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