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NEW DELHI: The Centre and Manipur government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the genesis of ethnic violence in the state was the crackdown on illegal Myanmar migrants’ illicit poppy cultivation and drug business in the hill districts even though it was triggered by the high court’s direction to the state to respond to the Meitei community’s demand for grant of Scheduled Tribe status.
Manipur HC Bar Association through senior advocate Ranjit Kumar told a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala that illegal migrants from Myanmar indulged in violence after a crackdown on their illicit poppy cultivation and drug trade. “Agitation against possible grant of ST status to Meitei community was a ruse and the protest was against the crackdown,” he said.
SC asks Manipur govt to take steps for ‘peace & tranquility’
The Centre and Manipur government on Wednesday told the SC that the genesis of ethnic violence in the state was the crackdown on illegal Myanmar migrants’ illicit poppy cultivation and drug business.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for both the Centre and the Manipur government, presented the relief, rehabilitation and compensation measures undertaken by the state. He said, “The Bar Association is right about illegal migrants from Myanmar indulging in illicit activities. It is being looked at an appropriate level by the governments.” When advocate Mohd Nizamuddin Pasha flagged Manipur CM N Biren Singh’s certain purported comments holding Kuki militants, drug trade and inappropriate role of Churches, the bench told the SG to advise the CM to be responsible while issuing statements.
Appearing for the tribal community, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves said the tribals are being killed and demanded deployment of Army in vulnerable villages of some hill districts. If the Kuki tribes accused Meiteis to be the aggressor, the Meitei community through senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and Jaideep Gupta said Kuki militants are erecting barricades to prevent people from travelling to certain parts of the hill districts.
Advocate Ng J Luwang claimed that Kuki militants are coming out of jungle camps and carrying out attacks on Meiteis systematically and demanded their disarming. The bench said it cannot go into the rival claims as it is a matter for the political arm of the government to act fast and bring normalcy to the state. It asked the state chief secretary and the security advisor to examine the apprehensions of the tribals and the Meiteis and take steps for “peace and tranquility”.
Initially the SC was commenting on the inappropriateness of the HC single judge bench’s order directing the state government to respond in four weeks to a 10-year-old letter from the Union tribal affairs ministry on Meiteis’ demand for grant of ST status.
The SG said since on the government’s request the judge has extended the deadline by a year and the state’s appeal against the single judge’s order is scheduled for hearing before a division bench on June 6, it would not be appropriate for the SC to take up the issue.
“The SC going into the legality of a dispute between two tribes on the ST status could adversely impact the peace that has returned slowly to the state,” the SG said. The bench accepted the suggestion and asked the tribal group to make itself a party before the HC on the contentious issue. However, the SC asked the state government to file a fresh status report in July, when the matter would be heard again.
Manipur HC Bar Association through senior advocate Ranjit Kumar told a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala that illegal migrants from Myanmar indulged in violence after a crackdown on their illicit poppy cultivation and drug trade. “Agitation against possible grant of ST status to Meitei community was a ruse and the protest was against the crackdown,” he said.
SC asks Manipur govt to take steps for ‘peace & tranquility’
The Centre and Manipur government on Wednesday told the SC that the genesis of ethnic violence in the state was the crackdown on illegal Myanmar migrants’ illicit poppy cultivation and drug business.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for both the Centre and the Manipur government, presented the relief, rehabilitation and compensation measures undertaken by the state. He said, “The Bar Association is right about illegal migrants from Myanmar indulging in illicit activities. It is being looked at an appropriate level by the governments.” When advocate Mohd Nizamuddin Pasha flagged Manipur CM N Biren Singh’s certain purported comments holding Kuki militants, drug trade and inappropriate role of Churches, the bench told the SG to advise the CM to be responsible while issuing statements.
Appearing for the tribal community, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves said the tribals are being killed and demanded deployment of Army in vulnerable villages of some hill districts. If the Kuki tribes accused Meiteis to be the aggressor, the Meitei community through senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and Jaideep Gupta said Kuki militants are erecting barricades to prevent people from travelling to certain parts of the hill districts.
Advocate Ng J Luwang claimed that Kuki militants are coming out of jungle camps and carrying out attacks on Meiteis systematically and demanded their disarming. The bench said it cannot go into the rival claims as it is a matter for the political arm of the government to act fast and bring normalcy to the state. It asked the state chief secretary and the security advisor to examine the apprehensions of the tribals and the Meiteis and take steps for “peace and tranquility”.
Initially the SC was commenting on the inappropriateness of the HC single judge bench’s order directing the state government to respond in four weeks to a 10-year-old letter from the Union tribal affairs ministry on Meiteis’ demand for grant of ST status.
The SG said since on the government’s request the judge has extended the deadline by a year and the state’s appeal against the single judge’s order is scheduled for hearing before a division bench on June 6, it would not be appropriate for the SC to take up the issue.
“The SC going into the legality of a dispute between two tribes on the ST status could adversely impact the peace that has returned slowly to the state,” the SG said. The bench accepted the suggestion and asked the tribal group to make itself a party before the HC on the contentious issue. However, the SC asked the state government to file a fresh status report in July, when the matter would be heard again.
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