The Manipur High Court has issued a directive to the state government to provide limited internet services to citizens at designated places. The court passed this order on June 16 in response to petitions seeking the restoration of internet services in the state. Internet services were suspended in Manipur on May 3 following violent clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The suspension of internet services has caused hardship for citizens, particularly in relation to students' admissions.
The High Court emphasized that citizens require internet access for their urgent and essential services and instructed the state authorities to provide limited internet service at specific locations under their control. Additionally, the court directed telecom service providers such as Vodafone, Idea, Jio, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, and Airtel to assess the feasibility of providing internet services while blocking access to social media websites. The case will be heard again on June 23.
In a separate development, the High Court admitted a review petition on June 19 regarding the demand of the Meitei community to be included in the Scheduled Tribe category. The court issued notices to the Central government and the state government, requesting their responses by July 5. The review petition was filed by the Meitei Tribes Union, arguing that the inclusion or exclusion of any community in the Scheduled Tribes list is the prerogative of the Parliament and the President. Furthermore, the All Manipur Tribal Union has appealed before a division bench of the High Court against the order passed on March 27, and the appeal will be heard on June 22.
On the other hand, the Supreme Court declined to urgently list an application filed by the Manipur Tribal Forum seeking directions to protect tribal communities. The court refused to hear the petition on June 21 or June 22 and scheduled it for after the court vacation on July 3. The vacation bench stated that the situation was primarily a law and order issue and that the court was not required to pass orders for army intervention. The Solicitor General representing the Manipur government stated that security agencies are making efforts to restore normalcy and maintain law and order. The Manipur Tribal Forum has demanded that the Indian Army assume full control of law and order in certain districts and called for a special investigation team to prosecute those responsible for attacks on tribal communities in Manipur.
Picture Source :
