The Supreme Court will hear a slew of Manipur-related petitions on Monday (May 8), including one from a ruling BJP MLA challenging the high court's order granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community and another from a tribal outfit seeking an SIT probe into the violence that rocked the northeastern state last week. The case will be heard by a bench consisting of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justices PS Narashima, and JB Pardiwala.
Last Wednesday, clashes between Meiteis and tribals erupted in the Churachandpur district. Following the March 27 Manipur High Court order, which directed the state government to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks on the Meitei community's demand for ST status, tribals are opposing reservation for Meiteis.
Dinganglung Gangmei, BJP MLA and chairman of the Manipur Legislative Assembly's Hills Area Committee (HAC), argued in his appeal that the "proceedings before the High Court were vitiated by not making the HAC a party," and that the HC order created tension and led to violence between the two communities.
"Even if directions were to be given, they could not have been given without notice to the HAC and hearing the HAC," said the MLA, who challenged various high court orders, including contempt notices, related to the issue.
The majority of Meiteis, who make up about 53 per cent of Manipur's population, reside in the Imphal valley. Another 40 per cent of the population is made up of the Naga and Kuki tribes, who primarily inhabit the hill districts.
Through advocate, Satya Mitra, an NGO named "Manipur Tribal Forum" filed a PIL with the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution in response to the severe situation brought on by attacks on the Manipur tribal community by a "dominant group."
It claimed that "these attacks have the full support of the party in power... which supports the dominant group" and asked the Centre and Manipur for instructions on how to evacuate tribal Manipuri people who had fled their villages.
According to the PIL filed by the tribal organisation, the attacks started on May 3 and several churches and hospitals were also damaged when the mobs went on the rampage, destroying tribal members' homes, vehicles, and places of business.
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According to the report, 132 people were hurt and 30 tribal members were killed, but "neither an FIR was filed nor is there any investigation underway." The PIL demanded instructions to the central government and the state government to immediately deploy central forces to protect all churches and other places of worship used by tribal Christians in Manipur.