SC seeks measures to curb Manipur violence in 7 days

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Manipur government to submit within a week a report detailing steps taken to curb the bloody violence and, on the relief, and rehabilitation measures after counsel for warring ethnic groups - Meiteis and Kukis - traded charges on killings and arson that has plagued the state since May 3.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for Manipur government, requested senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who appeared for Kuki petitioners, not to give a communal angle to the situation and informed a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra that the situation is improving, albeit slowly.

However, the state admitted to tackling a serious problem and presented details of an unprecedented deployment of forces. “Apart from police, Indian Reserve battalion personnel, Manipur Rifles commandos, 114 companies of Central Armed Police Force, and 184 columns of Army have been deployed to arrest violence,” the SG said.

“As many as 355 relief camps have been set up. I would request Gonsalves to consider avoiding giving any communal angle – Christians etc – which is not necessary. Arsonists are being dealt with. The curfew period has been reduced to five hours a day, so there is an improvement in the situation,” he said.

The CJI-led bench said, “We want an updated detailed status report by Monday. Give us a proper affidavit detailing steps taken on ground on various heads – rehabilitation, relief camps, recovery of arms, law and order etc.” The violence started after Kukis took out a solidarity march protesting against a Manipur HC order asking the state to respond to a 10-year-old Centre's query on grant of scheduled tribe status to Meiteis, who predominate the valley. Meiteis are aggrieved by the law barring them from buying land in hills even though Kukis can buy land in the valley, which is increasingly getting densely populated.

Gonsalves said contrary to the state’s assertion that violence is ebbing, the toll of Kukis has increased from 10, when the state had first assured the court to deal with the situation, to 110 as of Sunday.

Appearing for a Meitei group petitioner, advocate Luwang said the Kuki militants, armed with sophisticated weapons, are indulging in indiscriminate killings. “Where are the weapons coming from? The (Kuki) militants, who were to remain confined to their camps under the suspension of operation agreement, are out of their camps and are causing violence. There must be a headcount by the government of the militants in the camps to find out whether all of them who were supposed to be in the camps are physically there or not. Whether the weapons are there or are missing. Otherwise, how does one explain the use of sniper rifles and assault guns by these militants?

The bench asked the SG to take instructions on this count too. Mehta said, “A headcount is difficult as militants are never numbered. But I will take instructions. There is a possibility of some source other than what the counsel mentioned.” Gonsalves requested the SC that the SG should also take instructions about two fully armed (Meitei) militant groups killing the Kukis. "They openly say on TV channels and in Facebook posts about annihilating Kukis and driving them off the hills. And yet, No FIR is registered, nor they are arrested. If these militant groups are not disarmed, the violence is going to escalate. Meitei armed groups are crossing the line and burning the villages. Once they cross the line and come to burn, women in large numbers stop the army from taking action.”