The Supreme Court sought a detailed status report from the Manipur government on the measures taken to curb ethnic violence in the State, steps taken for rehabilitation camps for homeless and violence-affected people, deployment of forces, and the law and order situation. According to Live Law, two petitions came up for hearing in the Supreme Court pertaining to Manipur violence. One was filed by Manipur Tribal Forum Delhi seeking the protection of the Kuki tribe by the Indian Army, the other challenged the direction of the Manipur High Court to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list. Senior Advocate Dr Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the Manipur Tribal Forum, informed the court that the situation in Manipur has worsened. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and Manipur government, said that the situation is improving in the state, though slowly. The Solicitor General also requested counsel Manipur Tribal Forum to not give any communal angle to the issue. Gonsalves submitted that militant groups are openly giving calls for the annihilation of Kukis and cited an interview to a channel where a leader gave an open threat to Kukis. Another advocate, on behalf of the International Meities Organization, asked for a probe into the source of assault weapons and the militant groups behind the violence. “The suspicion is that the militants have come out of the shelters and are fighting, otherwise how will you explain the assault weapons. There should be a headcount of the militants. Union of India should look into this aspect”, the counsel said. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts on 3rd May to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The Author
Discover more from News Network Plus
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
