The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused urgent listing of the interlocutory application (IA) submitted by the Manipur Tribal Forum.
The IA alleges that the assurances provided by the Central government to the top court regarding the recent outbreak of violence in Manipur are misleading and lacking seriousness.
A vacation bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice MM Sundresh acknowledged the matter as a significant law and order issue. However, the bench stated that the case would be heard only once the Court resumes its normal functioning following the conclusion of its summer break.
“This is a serious issue of law and order .. I hope court is not required to pass orders for army intervention etc“, the bench remarked.
Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves brought up the matter before the Bench and highlighted that the application aimed to address the security concerns of the tribal areas. Gonsalves emphasized that despite the assurances provided by the Central government, a significant number of seventy tribal individuals lost their lives.
“This institution is our last hope and even after assurance the tribals are being killed“, he stated.
Contrarily, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta countered by asserting that the security agencies were exerting their utmost efforts to address the situation.
“So sorry this is being said,” SG Mehta stated.
“We will list the case on July 3 and not before that,” the bench stated.
According to the application filed on June 9 by the tribal welfare body, it was alleged that since the last hearing in the Apex Court, an additional 81 individuals belonging to the Kuki tribe have been killed, and 31,410 Kukis have been displaced.
Furthermore, the bench was informed that 237 churches and 73 administrative quarters have been set on fire, and 141 villages have been destroyed. These alarming statistics were presented as evidence of the grave situation in question.
“The assurances of the authorities are not useful anymore and made in a non-serious fashion and are not even intended to be implemented. The reason why this hon’ble court ought not to rely anymore on the empty assurances given by UOI (Union of India) is because both the UOI and the Chief Minister of the State have embarked jointly on a communal agenda for the ethnic cleansing of the Kukis,” the forum submitted.
The application strongly emphasized that the portrayal of the violence as a clash between two tribal communities in the media is far from accurate. The forum contended that the attackers are supported by the ruling party in power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It argued that without the arrest and prosecution of these groups, any semblance of peace would remain fragile.
Significantly, the application highlighted the involvement of prominent politicians and drug kingpins in poppy cultivations that rely on tribal workers.
The forum was one of the parties that approached the Top Court, seeking directions to the Central and State governments to evacuate Manipuri Tribals who had sought refuge in CRPF camps and to ensure their safe return to their homes under security escort.
On May 8, the Manipur government assured the Supreme Court that it would address concerns regarding the ongoing violence and take proactive measures to remedy the situation. The Court had called for appropriate arrangements to be made in relief camps and emphasized the need to rehabilitate displaced individuals and safeguard places of worship.
Subsequently, the Union Home Ministry established a committee headed by former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice, Ajay Lamba, to investigate the matter.
However, the forum contended in its interlocutory application (IA) that this arrangement was unacceptable as it was made without consulting the tribal groups who were the victims.
