Manipur: Centre Grants Extension to Commission Investigating Violence

IMPHAL: The Central Government has further extended the deadline for the Commission of Inquiry into the ethnic violence in Manipur.

The commission, which was expected to submit its report within six months of its first sitting, has been given until May 20, 2025, to complete its work. This reflects the complexity involved in examining the events that took place in May 2023, leading to a great loss of life and widespread unrest.

On 3rd May 2023, the conflict had left at least 258 dead and injured the rest. The turmoil coupled with ethnic tensions targeted diverse populations that broke the state's social administrative and calm equilibrium—following the situation the administration ordered three individuals on 4th June 2023 as the constituent inquiry for a free judicial inquiry into causes as well as progression of the disturbances.

The commission is headed by Justice Ajai Lamba, a former Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, along with two other members Shekhar Das, a retired IAS officer, and Aloka Prabhakar, a retired IPS officer. The panel was initially tasked with reporting its findings by November 20, 2023, but the multifaceted nature of the situation led to delays, prompting the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to issue a fresh notification extending the deadline.

The terms of reference for the commission are all-encompassing. It will analyze the sequence of events that led to the violence and identify any lapses or failures by authorities or individuals in preventing or managing the unrest. The commission will also evaluate the adequacy of administrative measures taken during the crisis and hear complaints or allegations from individuals or organizations related to the events.

The notification that the government made initially described the violence as full-scale disturbance and serious violence with consequences so grave that the state may suffer further consequences. Thus, by providing time for the commission, the government will find out more about what the problem is behind this chaos to give some clearer indication of measures to prevent the repetition of the same situation. This can eventually lead to lasting peace in Manipur.

ALSO READ:

ALSO WATCH: