In a significant development, the Manipur High Court has ordered a status quo to be maintained at the proposed burial site in Haolai Khopi village of Churchandpur district, where the Kuki-Zo community had planned a burial service for 35 people killed in the ongoing violence in the state. The order comes in light of the potential aggravation of the already volatile situation in Manipur.
The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice MV Muralidharan and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma, issued the directions in the public interest. They stated,
“Taking into consideration the potentiality of aggravating the already volatile law and order situation and the possibility of igniting a fresh wave of violence and bloodshed due to the gathering of a large mob from both the communities at the land in question, we are of the considered view that it will be in the public interest to issue the following directions as an interim measure to prevent any unwanted incident.”
The court directed the Central and State governments, as well as the public, to maintain the status quo ante of the land until the next hearing date. The court also allowed representatives of the Kuki-Zo community to apply to officials for allotment of land for the purpose of burial. The matter is set to be heard further on August 9, 2023.
The ongoing violence in Manipur stemmed from the opposition of certain tribes to the demand of the majority Meitei community for Scheduled Tribe status. On April 19, this year, the Manipur High Court had ordered the State government to “consider inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list, expeditiously, preferably within a period four weeks” from the date of the order.
This development underscores the complex socio-political dynamics in Manipur and the role of the judiciary in maintaining peace and order. The court’s decision to maintain the status quo at the proposed burial site is a crucial step towards preventing further escalation of violence in the region.