Shillong, July 3: The Supreme Court has requested an updated status report from the Manipur government following its claim that the situation is improving in the state after clashes erupted between the Kuki and Meitei communities.
The application, filed by the NGO Manipur Tribunal Forum, sought the deployment of the army in tribal areas to control the conflict. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state government, informed the court that the situation was gradually improving, with the deployment of CAPF companies and a reduction in the curfew to 5 hours.
However, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves presented a contrasting view, stating that several militant group leaders were openly threatening to annihilate the Kukis. Gonsalves mentioned that on Sunday night, three Kukis were killed, with one of them being beheaded. The Solicitor General opposed these claims, asserting that the “communal angle” should not be emphasized, as the focus should be on the real human beings affected by the violence.
The Supreme Court has decided to review the report and further discuss the matter on July 10. The court has instructed the state government to include details such as rehabilitation camps, the law and order situation, and the recovery of arms in its status report.
The ethnic violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur was triggered by a decision from the Manipur High Court, which called for the inclusion of the majority Meitei community under the ST (Scheduled Tribe) category.
