Manipur Probe Panel Gets Sixth Extension; No Sign Of Report Yet, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The three-member Commission of Inquiry investigating the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence received its sixth extension on Friday.
• The Union Home Ministry has set a new deadline of May 20, 2027, for the commission to submit its report.
• Constituted on June 4, 2023, the panel is currently headed by former Supreme Court judge Balbir Singh Chauhan, who took over after Ajai Lamba resigned in February this year.
• The ethnic violence, which began on May 3, 2023, has resulted in over 300 deaths and displaced approximately 60,000 people.
• The conflict has since spread to include clashes between Kuki and Naga communities, leading to over 60 deaths since February this year.
• The commission has received around 11,000 affidavits related to the incidents.

Detailed Insights:

• The initial trigger for the violence was a Manipur High Court order on April 14, 2023, which directed the state government to consider granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community.
• This order led to widespread protests by tribal communities, particularly the Kuki-Zo, who feared a reduction in their existing affirmative action benefits and land rights.
• The commission's mandate includes probing the causes, extent, and sequence of the violence, as well as identifying any lapses or dereliction of duty by responsible authorities.
• Originally, the commission comprised Justice Ajai Lamba as chairperson, along with retired IAS officer Himanshu Shekhar Das and retired IPS officer Aloka Prabhakar as members.
• The repeated extensions highlight the complexity of the investigation and the challenges in compiling a comprehensive report on the protracted ethnic conflict.
• President's Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025, due to the breakdown of constitutional machinery, and it concluded on February 4 this year with the swearing-in of a new Chief Minister.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Commission of Inquiry: A body constituted under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, to investigate matters of public importance, possessing powers of a civil court but typically making recommendatory findings.
• President's Rule: Imposition of direct central government rule in a state under Article 356 of the Constitution, typically when the state's constitutional machinery fails.
• Scheduled Tribe (ST) Status: A constitutional classification providing affirmative action benefits like reservations in education, employment, and legislative bodies to historically disadvantaged tribal communities.