The Supreme Court on Monday said that it cannot take over the responsibility of maintaining law and order in Manipur from the state government, PTI reported.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha said at most the court can give directions to the authorities to make the situation better.
“We must be conscious that we are not running security or law and order,” the court said, according to Bar and Bench. “This is a humanitarian issue and needs to be looked at from that angle.”
Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities since May 3. Widespread incidents of violence and arson continue to deepen the crisis in the state. Over 140 people have been killed and nearly 60,000 have been forced to flee their homes.
Violence still continued in the state on Monday as one armed Meitei person was killed in clashes in Kangpokpi, the district superintendent of police told Scroll. Firing was reported from Phayeng and Singda villages in Kangchup area of Kangpokpi.
The Supreme Court is hearing two petitions related to the violence. One was filed by the Manipur Tribal Forum, a non-governmental organisation that sought Army protection for the Kukis. The second plea by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Dinganglung Gangmei challenged a Manipur High Court order asking the state government to consider petitions of the majority Meitei community to be included in the Scheduled Tribe category.
During the hearing on Monday, the Supreme Court said that it does not want the proceedings to be used as a platform for escalation of violence.
The bench added that it needs assistance from different groups in the state to tackle the situation.
“Give us some positive suggestions by Tuesday to make the situation better and we will ask the Centre and the Manipur government to look into it,” the judges said, according to PTI.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the situation in the state is “constantly evolving”.
In a status report submitted to the judges, the Centre said that said as many as 5,995 first information reports have been filed and 6,745 people taken into custody to restore normalcy in the state, according to NDTV.
The report stated that 5,000 incidents of arson have taken place in the state since May and that the most number of deaths have been reported in Imphal East and Imphal West districts.
The Supreme Court will hear the case next on July 11.
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