Realising that its intervention failed to douse the 18-month-old Kuki-Meitei ethnic conflagration that continues to singe Manipur, SC on Monday focused on remedial measures by asking the state to give details of properties burnt, damaged, looted or illegally occupied during the crisis.
“We want every detail of such incidents. Also give details of action taken by the state in each of these incidents and whether the properties which have been encroached upon or illegally occupied have been restored to the original owners and whether the encroachers have been penalised,” ordered a bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar.
The bench told solicitor general Tushar Mehta and additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati that the court is not going to pass any orders on supplementary applications filed by other persons as “it is Union and state governments that have to take action, not us”.
Mehta told the court that governments are aware of the ground situation and are taking remedial measures. “We are advisedly not resorting to aggressive action which could be counterproductive to the priority of restoring peace in the state.” The SG also informed the court that details of the properties burnt, damaged, looted or illegally occupied would be given in sealed cover to the court as making it public could trigger violence. “We will also give details of recovery of looted arms and ammunition,” he said.
Appearing for Justice Gita Mittal Committee, senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija said the committee is doing commendable work in rehabilitation of people displaced by ethnic violence and required certain directions from the court. The bench asked Union home ministry to coordinate with Manipur government in ensuring that the recommended measures for rehabilitation of displaced persons are implemented at the earliest.
SC, which first heard the petition filed by one Dinganglung Gangmei on May 8 last year, has since conducted 27 hearings during which it appointed Justice Mittal Committee more than one and a half years ago and appointed a “seasoned sleuth” to supervise investigations into criminal cases filed against members of both communities for their roles in the ethnic crisis.
It all started with Manipur HC’s April 2023 order directing state government to respond to a more than decade old letter from Union government seeking its view on demand from Metei community for declaring them tribal community entitled to reservation like Kukis in government jobs and admissions to government educational institutions. The Kukis in tribal areas started violent protests against the HC order, which they apprehended would dilute their recruitment to government jobs.
