We can scrap Justice Gita Mittal Committee or you can trust it, CJI tells petitioners

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CategoryPolity

Last Updated27/09/2023

Faced with myriad complaints and grievances from petitioners in the Manipur ethnic violence case, the Supreme Court said it could not run the State administration
It said petitioners had to trust the Justice Gita Mittal Committee to do its job.

The central valley of Manipur (10% of the geographical area) is home to the Meitei and Meitei Pangals who constitute roughly 64% of the state’s population.
The remaining 90% of the state’s geographical area comprises hills surrounding the valley, which are home to the recognized tribes, making up about 35% of the state’s population.
The Meitei community (living in the valley) wants to be included in the state’s Scheduled Tribes list.
They argue that being left out of the ST list has caused the community to be victimized without any constitutional safeguards.
A single judge of the Manipur High Court passed an order asking the government to consider the demand of the Meitei community for ST status.
The order has been opposed by tribal groups in the state.
Both the demand and the order, passed by a single judge of the High Court, have been strongly opposed by groups representing the state’s tribal communities such as Kukis and Naga (living in Hills)

Opposition to the inclusion of the Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category by hill tribe in Manipur is due to their dominant population and political representation of Meitei and fear of job loss.
Additionally, the Meitei language is already included in the Constitution
sections of the Meitei community are already classified as Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes with access to opportunities associated with that status.

Recently, The Justice Mittal Committee was constituted by the apex court to intervene and monitor relief and rehabilitation, restoration of homesteads, religious places of worship, etc, in Manipur.