Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, June 20: In the midst of ethnic unrest in Manipur, a petition asking for Army protection for the minority Kuki tribals was denied an urgent hearing by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
It is solely a law and order matter, according to a vacation bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and M. M. Sundresh.
On behalf of the NGO Manipur Tribal Forum, senior attorney Colin Gonsalves raised the issue.
Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General, opposed the request for an expedited hearing and stated that security forces were already present.
On July 3, the Supreme Court scheduled the case for a hearing.
According to the Manipur Tribal Forum, the central government and Manipur’s chief minister have joined forces to advance a communal agenda that includes the “ethnic cleansing” of Kuki tribal people in the northeastern state.
The NGO requested Army protection for the Kuki tribal people and urged the Supreme Court not to depend on the “empty assurances” made by the Centre.
Violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur, which started more than a month ago, has claimed the lives of over 100 individuals.
After a “Tribal Solidarity March” was arranged throughout the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, clashes initially broke out in Manipur on May 3.
The Meiteis, who make up around 53% of Manipur’s population, reside in the Imphal Valley. Another 40% of the population is made up of the Naga and Kuki tribes, who live in the hill districts.
