A six-member delegation, headed by Supreme Court Judge B.R. Gavai, will be coming to Manipur this weekend to oversee if relief materials and legal assistance extended to the victims of the ethnic violence are sufficient. As executive chairman of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and Justice Gavai hope relief reaches the deserving.

Judges to Make High Court Establishment Day Visit

The visit is on the 20th establishment day of Manipur High Court. The visiting team consists of Justices Vikram Nath, M.M. Sundresh, K.V. Viswanathan, and N. Kotiswar Singh. Justice Surya Kant was also part of the team but withdrew due to his earlier commitments. Justice R. Mahadevan will replace him in the team.

Before the Manipur High Court was formed, there was the Imphal branch of the Guwahati High Court. Supreme Court judges graced the anniversary ceremony, which is a reflection of the importance of the judicial organization to the area, especially given the current crisis.

Ethnic Clashes and Humanitarian Concerns

The Manipur ethnic conflict broke out in May 2023 during a protest by the Kuki tribe against the inclusion of the Meitei tribe. The clash escalated into major clashes, and at least 200 individuals lost their lives and huge property were torched. Thousands of individuals have been left homeless and are seeking shelter in relief camps.

Clarifying questions regarding the intent of the visit, Justice Gavai clarified that the delegation visit is a humanitarian visit. “Our visit has nothing whatsoever to do with the controversy between the two communities. It is purely for relief to the poor by way of the instrumentality of NALSA. NALSA will give relief material and legal assistance to whoever is in need,” he stated.

Emphasis on Relief Material and Legal Assistance

Justice Gavai also stressed the point that the visit is to observe ground reality. “We, and NALSA officials, will go to the hill and valley areas affected in Manipur and determine whether sufficient material, food and clothes has been given to the people who lost their homes and are now relocated to relief camps,” he stated.

The action of the Supreme Court via NALSA is to extend justice and basic facilities to the victims, projecting the role of the judiciary in providing humanitarian relief. The visit will provide a day-to-day account of ground reality and whether the relief efforts of the government are proving to be successful for the displaced.

Importance of Appointment of Justice Singh

Visiting judge Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, a visiting judge, is important to this fact as he is the first Manipuri judge to come to the bench of the Supreme Court. He was made a judge of SC on 18th July last year after holding the position of Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. His membership in the delegation will be a key deciding factor from which to gather knowledge on the socio-legal context in the region.

Judicial Supervision and Public Interest

The visit is against the backdrop of increasing alarm for long-term social damage inflicted on the social life of Manipur due to ethnic conflict. The action by the Supreme Court would be nothing short of a trial of institution building imposing and intruding with judicial supervision on victims. This regional government and relief camps’ response to suggestions placed by the court is still pending in need of consideration after assessment.

Although the tour has been relief-oriented, there is scope for the judiciary to examine the larger canvas of the conflict.