The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to issue specific directions to the Indian Army and paramilitary forces for providing security in certain areas and to take action against certain groups in violence-hit Manipur.
The SC, however, directed the state government to act upon certain suggestions made by petitioners to mitigate the situation and protect lives of citizens of Manipur.
The Suprme Court explained that the maintenance of law-and-order as well as the preservation of the security of the state fall within the domain of the elected government and it would be inappropriate for the court to issue directives to the Army and paramilitary forces. Hence, the SC cannot issue directives on where a particular battalion of soldiers has to be deployed etc, the court stated.
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The Supreme Court was hearing a batch of pleas filed regarding the outbreak of violence in Manipur. Last week, the state government had submitted that it would file an updated status report indicating the measures taken by it to contain violence.
On Tuesday, a bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Manoj Misra, Advocate Nizam Pasha, presented the 13 suggestions on behalf of Zomi Students Federation of India.
Some suggestions are, several bodies are reported to be lying unidentified and unclaimed in several mortuaries in hospitals across Imphal including JNIMS morgue. Families of persons who are missing and feared dead are unable to reach these mortuaries. The state may designate an officer who can be contacted and who will facilitate visits by such families to mortuaries under escort/protection and enable the process of identification and handover of dead bodies for last rites.
And, there is an acute shortage of doctors in the district hospitals in the hill districts. The doctors deputed by the health ministry and those promised by the Home Minister may be sent to the district hospitals in the hill districts to address the shortage. There is shortage of essential medicines, Dialysis Machines, CT Scan Machines in the district hospitals in the hill districts which must be addressed.
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The suggestions further stated that an arrangement has been made for students of Churachandpur Medical College to attend classes in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal (JNIMS). Similar arrangements may be made for medical students of JNIMS, RIMS and other medical colleges in Imphal to attend classes in other institutions of similar standing outside the state, it added.
Manipur government accepts certain suggestion except to deferred examination of Manipur University in all its affiliated college, to provide helicopter services between Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Aizawl, Guwahati and Dimapur and cellular services of Jio and Vodafone to restored require consultations of state administration and after consultation action as is warranted will be taken.
With respect to suggestion of the teams, comprising ministers and MLAs appointed by the Government to oversee relief and rehabilitation measures, comprise of 35 MLAs (from a legislative assembly comprising 60 MLAs) across seven teams in-charge of seven (7) districts pointedly do not include even a single MLA from the Zo-Kuki tribes which damages public confidence in the neutrality of the measures being undertaken. The SC observed that the committees do not include any MLA from Zo-Kuki tribes and it is desirable that such representation may be granted for building public confidence. This may be duly borne in mind by administration, the SC stated.
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The SC said to take action on or before Friday.
Suggestion of Manipur Tribal Forum alleged certain organisations of Meitei group are behind the violence and action should be taken against it.
However, the bench said that these cannot be regarded as constructive suggestions and did not appreciate the tone and the tenor of the submissions. The allegations are matters to be investigated, the bench said, adding that it cannot pass directions to the Indian Army to take action against certain groups.
The SC accepted another suggestion that ordered the state to consider for disbursal of compensation to the victims of the violence and for reconstruction of religious worship places which were destroyed.
The bench was also hearing another plea moved just yesterday by the Manipur government, challenging a High Court order that had in effect revoked the internet shutdown in the state.
