The Manipur government has ordered individuals and civil society organisations in the state not to unilaterally change names of places and institutions without consent, warning that it could create conflict between communities.
An order was issued by Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi on Thursday at a time when the state has been wracked by ethnic violence between the Meiteis and the Kukis. Over 200 people have been killed and at least 60,000 displaced since clashes erupted on May 3.
“No one shall make or attempt to make any deliberate act of renaming districts, sub-divisions, places, institutions and addresses of such institutions with the approval of the state government,” the order read.
The Manipur government, the order added, views the matter “very seriously and with utmost sensitivity” as it could aggravate the law and order situation amid the ethnic strife.
“Anyone found violating this order shall be prosecuted under relevant law of the land for the time being in force,” Joshi warned. “All Central and State government authorities, management, institutions, establishment, autonomous bodies are also advised to check the name or address of respective offices/establishments under them in all signage, official communications, websites, all documents related to services provided, etc., and also to ensure compliance of the orders.”
In Manipur’s Kuki-dominated Churachandpur, nearly every signboard outside homes, shops and government offices have been overwritten with spray paint to in an attempt to rename the district “Lamka”, The Indian Express reported in July. Lamka means “crossroads” in Kuki dialects.
In July, Manipur Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh wrote to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia after it came to light that Air India tickets referred to the airport ticketing office of Imphal as “Air India, ATO Imphal Airport, Lamka”.
“This is totally unacceptable on the part of Air India to have made this gross error and act of negligence/conspiracy to have altered the name from Imphal to Lamka in the official ticket,” said Singh, who is the son-in-law of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
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