The Supreme Court will hear on Monday a bunch of petitions related to the current situation in Manipur districts, which witnessed violence last week after clashes broke out between the Meitei community and tribals over the Meitie’s demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe category.
Three petitions have been filed in the Apex Court regarding the current situation in Manipur.
The plea filed by Manipur Tribal Forum sought constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the violent incidents, which rocked the hill state last week and led to the death of 19 people.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice P.S. Narashima and Justice J.B. Pardiwala will hear the pleas today.
The petition filed by BJP MLA Dinganglung Gangmei has challenged the Manipur High Court order, which directed the state government to consider the plea to grant ST status to Meitei community as a tribe of the hill state.
Gangmei, who is also the Chairman of Hill Areas Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, contended in the petition that directing the state government to recommend a tribe for the Scheduled Tribes List falls solely within the jurisdiction of the State, and not the High Court.
Gangmei alleged that the High Court order resulted in the unrest in Manipur, which claimed 19 lives.
The petition said the order increased tension between the two communities, leading to violent clashes across the state. So far, the violence has claimed the lives of 19 tribal people, besides resulting in blockade at various places in the state and complete shutdown of internet. It added that more people were at the risk of losing their lives.
On April 19, the Single-Judge Bench of Acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidaran at Manipur High Court had directed the state to consider the inclusion of Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list.
As per the plea, Meitei community was not a tribe and has never been recognised as such.