“Displaced people are not hostages of…” said former Manipur High Court Chief Justice Siddharth Mridul, raising concerns about repeated violence. He shared his view that some groups might be purposely causing unrest. “Whenever the situation starts getting better, new violence begins,” he said, pointing out this pattern. His remarks highlight the ongoing struggle to bring peace to the region.
New Delhi: At an event in Delhi, former Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court, Siddharth Mridul, emphasized the necessity of upholding the rule of law and disarming armed groups in the violence-affected region of Manipur to restore peace.
He stated,
“Nothing is more important than ensuring the rule of law and disarming all armed groups to bring peace.”
Some civil society organizations are purportedly intimidating internally displaced persons (IDPs) from returning to their homes for rebuilding with government support, Justice Mridul remarked,
“The IDPs are not their [some organizations’] hostages. Let’s be clear.”
He further elaborated,
“They can return home provided we create an environment conducive to their returning home, which brings us back to the rule of law. Once law and order are restored and there is a rule of law, and groups have been disarmed of all the illegal weapons that they possess… that’s the only way forward.”
Justice Mridul, who served as Chief Justice until his retirement in November 2024, highlighted the ongoing displacement crisis, with approximately 50,000 individuals affected due to ethnic clashes that began in May 2023 between the Meitei community and various Kuki tribes.
He echoed a sentiment expressed by the Supreme Court regarding the need to address ongoing tensions, stating,
“The reason why I believe that there is somebody interested in keeping the pot boiling is that every time the situation seems to be normalizing, there is a fresh injection of violence.”
He suggested that while external forces may be involved, local collaborators also play a role in perpetuating the unrest, saying,
“I am beginning to subscribe to the idea that there does seem to be an invisible hand.”
Justice Siddharth Mridul, who previously worked closely with state authorities in Manipur, noted that while there have been moments without violence, regularity has not been restored since May of last year.
He stated,
“You must understand the separation of powers. My interaction with the executive was purely to ensure that the judiciary could fulfill its function. These are not political discussions; they can never be political discussions. However, the impression I gathered was that I may be wrong nobody seems to be in command of the vessel.”
He emphasized the importance of disarmament for peace, explaining,
“Until there is disarmament, until the looted or snatched weapons are recovered, and until smuggled arms from across the border are intercepted, there is no possibility of peace returning to Manipur. Armed individuals will not allow you to return to your homes or live peacefully.”
Major General Rajan Kochhar (Retd.) also spoke on the need for trust to facilitate normalcy in Manipur.
He remarked,
“Without trust, various forces whether internal or external will only widen the divide. Everyone agrees that peace is essential; the question is how to achieve it.”
He further pointed out the complexities of the situation, stating,
“A significant number of people have come from Myanmar to Manipur. It is crucial for the local community to identify militants among civilians. This responsibility lies with the community. If we fail to do this, we risk creating buffer zones within our own state, which is unacceptable. A buffer zone is established between two countries at war to prevent escalation. How can we have a buffer zone within our own state and restrict movement between communities?”
Dr. Arambam Noni, an associate professor at DM University in Imphal, addressed the “untenable and obsolete demand” for an ethnocentric homeland during a recent event in Delhi. He had previously made similar remarks at a side event of the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva in early October.
He warned,
“Ethnopolitical leaders are playing a dangerous game. They seek to eliminate overlapping spaces. In a state like Manipur, which is home to 35 officially recognized communities, some of which have populations as small as 600 or 1,000, this threatens their existence. If we allow these overlapping spaces to be dismantled, it will only increase the demand for ethnocentric political territories, which is extremely dangerous. Favoring an ethnocentric homeland sets a perilous precedent since the Constitution does not acknowledge such arrangements.”
Dr. Noni raised critical questions about the modern state’s ability to accommodate the continuous movement of populations across borders in the name of culture.
He asked,
“Does the modern state have a mechanism to manage these free-flowing population movements, not just for cultural solidarity but also for territorial integrity? This is problematic. Modern states typically rely on fixed territoriality and sovereignty. What we see in northeast India is the porousness of this fixed idea of a state.”
He expressed no issue with cultural transitions across borders but highlighted the conflict created by reconciling identities for ethnocentric homelands.
“This will inevitably lead to conflict in overlapping spaces like Manipur, which is a multicultural state. The issue is complex; the weaponization of identity is detrimental, as micro-identities increasingly feel threatened. The media and academic circles should avoid binary thinking and recognize the resources that can unite rather than divide communities.”
On the topic of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Dr. Noni emphasized the need for them to return home, asserting,
“You must allow IDPs to return home because that’s their fundamental right. You cannot provide them a comfortable life in relief camps.”
He spoke during a panel discussion titled “Understanding the Barriers of Northeast India and Manipur Violence: The Way Forward,” organized by TMP Manipur, Meitei Alliance, and Manipur International Youth Centre. This marks the second winter that many IDPs in Manipur are spending in relief camps.
The Kuki tribes, represented by ten MLAs and their civil society groups, have stated that negotiations are impossible unless Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigns.
They accuse him of instigating the crisis, a claim reinforced by a leaked tape controversy. Kuki leaders are demanding a political resolution through a separate administration before addressing other issues, including the return of thousands living in relief camps.
In contrast, Meitei leaders argue that discussions can proceed even as displaced individuals return home, insisting that no territory is ethnically exclusive. Many Kuki villages are located in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley districts.
Additionally, general category Meiteis seek inclusion under the Scheduled Tribes category, while Kuki leaders cite discrimination and unequal access to resources and power as reasons for their calls for separation.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
