Six Supreme Court judges have decided to pay a special visit to Manipur on March 22, on the occasion of the Duodecennial Celebration of the Manipur High Court.
The Apex Court judges, including Justice BR Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, Justice Vikram Nath, Justice MM Sundresh, Justice KV Viswanathan and Justice N Kotiswar Singh, would visit the violence-affected state to garner legal and humanitarian support for the affected communities.
Justice Gavai is the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority. Justice N Kotiswar Singh hails from Manipur.
A statement issued by the National Legal Services Authority said that even after nearly two years of the devastating sectarian violence of May 3, 2023, which claimed hundreds of lives and displaced over 50,000 people, many people continued to seek refuge in relief camps across Manipur.
During the visit, Justice Gavai would virtually inaugurate the legal services camps and medical camps across all districts of Manipur, as well as the new legal aid clinics in Imphal East, Imphal West and Ukhrul districts.
They would also distribute essential relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The legal services camps would connect the IDPs with government welfare programmes, ensuring access to vital benefits such as healthcare, pensions, employment schemes, and identity document reconstruction.
Each participating State department would outline at least five key schemes tailored to address the needs of the displaced population.
A team of 25 specialised doctors from Chennai would conduct medical camps across all relief camps. Their services would continue for six additional days, ensuring sustained medical support, treatment and access to essential medicines for the displaced families.
NALSA and the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MASLSA) have joined hands to help provide legal aid during the ethnic crisis.
MASLSA also established 273 special legal aid clinics at relief camps, assisting IDPs in availing government benefits, lost documents and medical aid.