In a significant development addressing the aftermath of violence in Manipur, the Supreme Court of India has taken proactive measures to ensure the safety and rights of those affected, especially in light of the upcoming Christmas festivities. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, has issued directives aimed at facilitating the celebration of Christmas for those in relief camps and securing places of worship in the state.
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During the hearing, Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the Meitei Christian Churches Council, emphasized the need for a safe congregation space for people in the state to celebrate Christmas. In response, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta expressed concerns, stating,
“What about their right to observe Christmas then?”
This prompted CJI Chandrachud to remark,
“They have the right but congregation for Christmas was never a prayer (made by the petitioner in the petition).”
Despite this, the Court recognized the affected persons’ right to observe Christmas.
The Court’s order reflected this concern:
“Bearing in mind persons would be in relief camps, with regard to the incoming Christmas festival both SG Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati assure the court that necessary steps would be taken to ensure that those in camps can attend to all ceremonies regarding the impending Christmas festival.”
Additionally, the Supreme Court extended the remit of an earlier-appointed committee by six months, issuing directions for it to take steps to secure places of public worship in Manipur. This decision followed the filing of an affidavit by the Manipur government, which acknowledged that places of worship in the state were vandalized, damaged, and burnt amid ethnic violence.
Chief Justice Chandrachud, addressing the issue, stated,
“The chief secretary of Manipur has filed an affidavit in relation to the identification of the religious sites which were vandalized. It has been stated that the Home Department of the government of Manipur has issued orders to identify such properties and protect them.”
The Court also indicated that it would review the investigations of the case over the next 10 days.
The Court further directed,
“The government of Manipur shall furnish details of the identification of such places within two weeks to the court-appointed committee. The court reiterated that the identification shall be across all religious denominations.”
Based on this identification exercise, the committee is permitted to prepare a comprehensive proposal for the way forward, including the restoration of places of worship.
During the hearing, Ahmadi informed CJI Chandrachud that all places of worship damaged have now been identified. ASG Aishwarya Bhati added,
“We have identified and secured the places of worship.”
According to Ahmadi, a total of 247 Meitei community churches were vandalized during the violence.
These directives from the Supreme Court underscore its commitment to ensuring the safety and religious rights of the affected communities in Manipur. The Court’s intervention highlights the importance of protecting religious freedoms and providing a sense of security and normalcy, particularly during significant religious festivals like Christmas.
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