Protect worship places, properties of displaced: SC panel to Manipur

“The Government of Manipur should immediately identify all religious buildings in the State (which would include Churches; Hindu Temples; Sanamahi Temples; Mosques and any building of any other religion) whether existing at present or vandalised/ damaged/ burnt in the violence which started on 03.05.2023,” the committee recommended in its meeting with state government officials on September 8. It is learnt that a recommendation was also made to protect  such buildings “from encroachment” and “damage/destruction.”

In a statement earlier this month, the Manipur Police had stated that 386 religious structures in the state had been vandalised through arson during the course of the ongoing violence. Of these, police said, 254 were churches and 132 temples. These religious structures were among 5,132 recorded cases of arson.

The Supreme Court had appointed a three-member committee headed by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal to look into the humanitarian aspects of the violence in Manipur. The committee also comprises former Bombay High Court judge Shalini P Joshi and former Delhi High Court judge Asha Menon.

It is learnt that the committee looked into contents of a writ petition filed before the Supreme Court alleging that “that 240-247 churches stand vandalised, looted and burnt down in the violence which started on 03.05.2023 and church property including furniture, valuable and parish church register and title documents either looted or deliberately burnt.” The writ petition was filed by Meitei Christian Churches Council, Manipur.

In June, Dominic Lumon, the Archbishop of Imphal, had written a letter claiming that 249 churches belonging to Meitei Christians had been destroyed within 36 hours since the start of the violence.

The Supreme Court committee had also directed the state government to conduct a survey “of all properties in Manipur and those destroyed in the violence on 03.05.2023 and thereafter be separately identified.”

“The Government of Manipur should ensure the protection of the properties of the displaced persons as well as the properties which have been destroyed/burnt in the violence and prevent their encroachment. In case any property has been encroached, the encroachers be directed to forthwith remove their encroachment,” the committee told the state government.

In its note to the Supreme Court, the committee recommended that the Court pass “orders to this effect”, “failing which the person concerned would be liable for contempt of court for non-compliance of the orders of the Supreme Court of India.”