Independent Tribunal report exposes systemic failures in Manipur ethnic violence

The Independent People’s Tribunal on the Ongoing Ethnic Conflict in Manipur is set to release its report yesterday, at the Press Club of India, New Delhi, in the presence of its jury and expert members. Constituted by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) in 2024, the Tribunal was formed to investigate the prolonged state-wide violence in Manipur and the failure of constitutional governance. Chaired by former Supreme Court Judge Kurian Joseph, the Tribunal included 14 members from the judiciary, human rights, feminist organizations, academia, and journalism, representing perspectives from within and outside Manipur.
The report examines the May 3, 2023, ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, documenting its causes, nature, and consequences through survivor testimonies and first-person accounts. It highlights historical ethnic divisions, socio-political marginalization, land disputes, hate campaigns on digital media, and provocative statements by political leaders as key factors in the escalation. The March 27, 2023, directive of the Manipur High Court recommending Scheduled Tribe status for Meiteis served as a critical trigger, perceived by tribal groups as a threat to their constitutional protections, leading to protests in the Hill districts that escalated into state-wide violence.
The Tribunal challenges popular narratives, noting that allegations of continuous Kuki-Zo immigration from Myanmar and claims of their involvement in poppy cultivation lack factual basis. Testimonies suggest the violence was planned, ethnically targeted, and facilitated by state failures, with survivors describing killings, torture, sexual assault, disrobing, and destruction of property. Women in particular faced severe sexual violence and were forced to seek protection from their communities due to police inaction or complicity. Relief efforts were inadequate, delayed, and unevenly distributed, while the healthcare system collapsed, further aggravating suffering for women, children, elderly, and the differently-abled.
The Tribunal notes the role of media in escalating tensions, highlighting partisan reporting and the spread of inflammatory content on digital platforms. It also documents the complete breakdown of legal and constitutional mechanisms, with courts failing to issue protective directives, investigations delayed or ignored, selective filing of FIRs, and law enforcement officers complicit in violence. Both State and Central governments were held accountable for failing to enforce the rule of law, resulting in prolonged displacement and denial of justice.
The report calls for urgent measures to restore trust and ensure justice in Manipur. Recommendations include establishing a permanent High Court bench in the Hill regions, forming a Special Investigation Team to independently probe conflict-related cases, prosecuting hate propaganda and those responsible for failing to prevent violence, and adopting restorative justice frameworks focused on acknowledgment, reparations, and reintegration.
The Tribunal warns that more than 27 months after the outbreak of violence, Manipur remains a disturbed state, reflecting collective failures of governance and accountability. The report urges India’s judiciary, Parliament, and civil society to ensure lasting peace, legal redress, and reconciliation in the conflict-ridden state.