Manipur High Court deletes order on ST status to Meitei community

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 22

Holding that its March 27, 2023, order asking the state government to consider including the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list was in conflict with the Supreme Court Constitution Bench rulings, the Manipur High Court has ordered deletion of the controversial paragraph that triggered an ethnic unrest, which claimed over 200 lives.

“I am satisfied and of the view that the direction given at Para No. 17(iii) of the Single Judge dated 27.03.2023 passed in WP(C) No. 229 of the 2023 which is impugned herein needs to be reviewed, as the direction is against the observation made in the Constitution Bench of the SC,” Justice Golmei Gaiphulshillu said on Wednesday in his order on a petition seeking a review of the order.

Had triggered unrest

• Ethnic unrest was triggered by dissent over Meitei community's Scheduled Tribe status
• Meiteis account for 53% of Manipur’s population and live mostly in Imphal Valley

The controversial paragraph said the state government “shall consider the case of the petitioners for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list expeditiously, preferably within a period of four weeks” from the date of receipt of the order.

Justice Gaiphulshillu emphasised the necessity of removing the directive, pointing to the Union Government’s stipulated procedure for ST list amendments.

Taking strong exception to the high court’s “obnoxious” order on ST status to the Meitei community, a Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud had on May 17, 2023, termed it “absolutely wrong”, saying the high court didn’t follow Constitution Bench judgments. Later, it issued a series of directions on the issue.

Referring to the constitutional protocol detailed in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ 2013-14 report, the court highlighted the need for alignment with the Supreme Court’s constitutional interpretation,” Justice Gaiphulshillu said.

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