Meiteis in ST list: Manipur govt yet to take position on contentious HC order

A protest by the Kuki community members against this order had spiralled into violence in the state, and Union Minister Amit Shah too has pinned the blame for the ongoing clashes on this order.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren addresses a press conference, in Imphal, Manipur, Thursday, June 1, 2023. (PTI Photo)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

The Manipur government is yet to take a stand on whether or not it will object to an appeal against the Manipur High Court’s order to include the Meitei community in the state’s Scheduled Tribes list.

A protest by the Kuki community members against this order had spiralled into violence in the state, and Union Minister Amit Shah too has pinned the blame for the ongoing clashes on this order.

The order has been challenged by the All Manipur Tribal Union, and a division bench of the Manipur High Court, comprising Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma, had the second hearing on this appeal on June 6.

Story continues below this ad

During the course of the hearing, the Deputy Solicitor General of India, appearing on behalf of the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry, submitted that the ministry would not be filing any objection to the application. The Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union is also a respondent in the case and their counsel submitted that their objection to the application will be submitted within seven days. The counsel appearing for the state government sought more time “for getting instruction as to whether any objection will be filed”.

At the conclusion of his recent visit to the state earlier this month, Shah had stated that “the Manipur High Court took a hasty decision because of which ethnic violence, and violence between two groups started”.

Also Read | Kuki-Meitei violence in Manipur: The wounds of history

Last month, a three judge bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud had stated that the order was “absolutely wrong”. However, it declined to stay the order upon being informed that the appeal by the All Manipur Tribal Union had been filed challenging it.

“We leave it open to the parties who are aggrieved by the order of the single-judge to make appropriate submissions before the division bench in that regard,” it had said.

Story continues below this ad

Also Read | I worship the CM… bigger blow to come: chief of Meitei outfit at centre of Manipur clashes

Before that, the Supreme Court had stated that the High Court does not have the power to recommend reservation, which is a presidential power.

The contentious single judge bench order had asked the state government to recommend the inclusion of the Meitei community in the state’s ST list. That order had been issued during the course of hearings in a petition by the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union seeking directions to the Manipur government to submit such a recommendation to the Union Ministry for Tribal Affairs.

Once this order became public on April 19, tribal organisations in the state began expressing their discontent, and it was after a rally protesting against the demand for ST status for Meiteis and this High Court order that clashes began on May 3.