Manipur: Don't rely on Centre's 'empty assurances', tribal forum urges Supreme Court

The Manipur Tribal Forum, in a fresh interlocutory application, has told the Supreme Court that the Centre's assurances to SC pertaining to the prevailing situation in the state are "empty, meaningless", non-serious and false. The forum has alleged that one of the groups involved in the attacks has the backing of the state machinery.

The forum has submitted that the "assurances of the authorities are not useful anymore and made in a non-serious fashion and are not even intended to be implemented".

Urging SC to not rely on the Centre's "empty assurances", the forum has said that the reason is because both the central government and the Manipur chief minister "have embarked on a communal agenda for the ethnic cleansing of the Kukis".


The forum was among the parties who had petitioned SC seeking directions to the Centre and state government to evacuate tribals who had fled to CRPF camps and to ensure that they reach their residences safely under a security escort.

Alleging that the media coverage projecting the violence as a clash between two tribal communities is far from the truth, the forum has said that such a narrative misses the fact that the two communities have co-existed for a long time despite their sometimes deep-rooted differences.

It adds "the unique situation presently existing is of a couple of armed communal groups linked to the party in power in the state, carrying out a predesigned communal attack on tribals".

Army should take full control
The forum has called for the Army to take full control of the law and order situation in the districts of Churachandpur, Chandel, Kangpokpi, Imphal East and Imphal West, and all villages.