Imphal: The Manipur government on Tuesday directed the DCs and SPs in the state to comply with the Supreme Court order for the protection of the properties and religious sites of displaced people due to the ongoing conflict.
An order issued by the Home Department, Government of Manipur states that the apex court also directed the state government to ensure the protection of the properties of the displaced persons as well as the properties which have been destroyed/burnt in the violence and prevent encroachment.
In case any property has been encroached, the encroachers are to be directed to remove the encroachment, failing which the person concerned would be liable for contempt of court for non-compliance with the order of the Supreme Court of India.
In the Special Leave petition (Civil) Diary No. 19206/2023 (Dinganglung Gangmei Verses Mutum Churamani Meetei & others), the Supreme Court on September 25, 2023, directed that the situs of the religious buildings be protected from the encroachment and the buildings be protected from damage/destruction.
The new move of the state comes after a large number of Kuki people tried to occupy shops and houses that were vandalized and burnt at Moreh Ima Keithel Community Variety Market on Tuesday morning.
The government also canceled the curfew relaxations in Moreh.
Interestingly, many deserted houses in the Meitei locality have been bulldozed, flattened, and renamed in the Churachandpur district.
Besides Churches run by the Meitei pastors in the district were occupied by the Kuki people after driving out the pastors and the Meitei Christian followers in the district in the ongoing communal clashes between the Meiteis and Kukis that broke out on May 3, 2023.
Over 60, 000 people were displaced in the communal clashes.