By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: The Centre has extended the tenure of the Commission of Inquiry probing the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur by another six months, pushing the deadline for submission of its report to November 20, 2026.
A notification issued on Thursday said the three-member panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, has been directed to submit its report “as soon as possible but not later than November 20, 2026”.
The commission was constituted on June 4, 2023, days after large-scale violence broke out across Manipur following a “Tribal Solidarity March” held in the hill districts on May 3 that year. The march was organised in opposition to the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
More than 260 people were killed in the clashes, while thousands were displaced as homes, shops and other properties were set on fire in widespread incidents of arson. The violence also exposed deep ethnic faultlines between the Meitei and Kuki communities, with sporadic incidents continuing even after the initial outbreak.
The inquiry panel was earlier headed by former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajai Lamba, who stepped down on February 28 this year. Justice Chauhan assumed charge on March 1.
This is the fifth extension granted to the commission. Earlier extensions were issued in September and December 2024, followed by two more in May and December 2025. The previous deadline was May 20, 2026.
According to its terms of reference, the panel is examining the sequence of events that led to the violence and whether there were lapses or dereliction of duty by authorities responsible for maintaining law and order.
It is also assessing the adequacy of administrative and security measures taken to prevent the clashes and control the situation after violence broke out. The commission is additionally reviewing complaints and representations submitted by individuals and organisations.
Tensions in Manipur had been brewing even before the May 2023 violence, particularly over eviction drives targeting settlements in reserved forest areas, which triggered protests in several districts.
The Union Home Ministry, while announcing the inquiry in 2023, had described the matter as one of “public importance”, citing the scale of violence and destruction across the state.