Even the Judiciary is Threatened – What else do you expect, Mr. Prime Minister?

The declaration by the Churachandpur District Bar Association (CDBA) to bar Supreme Court and High Court judges from the Meitei community from entering Churachandpur is an unforgivable assault on India’s judiciary. When legal professionals—who are supposed to be the upholders of justice—turn into enforcers of ethnic exclusion, what remains of the rule of law? When the judiciary itself is threatened, what else do you expect, Mr. Prime Minister? Do you still believe that India’s democracy is intact? Do you still believe that constitutional institutions are functioning as they should? This unprecedented act of defiance against the judiciary is a wake-up call for the entire nation. If the courts, which stand as the final guardians of justice, can be dictated to by communal forces, then India’s democracy is already on its knees.
This shocking decision by the CDBA is a direct challenge to the Supreme Court’s authority. By barring judges from a particular community, they have sent an unmistakable message: the judiciary is no longer welcome unless it serves the interests of one ethnic group. This is judicial apartheid in its ugliest form. If bar associations can now decide which judges are “acceptable” based on their ethnicity, then the entire structure of the legal system collapses. If this dangerous precedent is not crushed immediately, tomorrow it could spread to other states, other regions, other communities. Will we then have “Hindu-only” courts in one state, “Muslim-only” courts in another, and “Tribal-only” courts elsewhere? The silence of the central government on this matter is alarming. The Prime Minister must answer: if the judiciary is being targeted today, which institution will fall next?
Manipur has already been torn apart by ethnic violence since May 2023. The Supreme Court, recognizing the gravity of the situation, deputed a team of judges, including Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, to oversee relief efforts and ensure legal assistance for the displaced. This was a much-needed initiative in a region where law and order have crumbled. But instead of supporting this effort, the CDBA has chosen to reject the judiciary itself. This is not just an insult to Justice Kotiswar Singh—it is an attack on the very idea of justice. What the CDBA has done is no different from mobs dictating who can enter a court and who cannot. And if mobs are now controlling the judiciary, then India’s democracy is already in freefall.
The excuse that this ban is necessary to maintain “public order” is laughable. Since when did courts and judges become a threat to peace? The real threat to peace is the lawlessness that such actions encourage. If the government does not act decisively now, this crisis will not remain confined to Manipur. It will spread like wildfire, emboldening those who wish to dismantle the judiciary’s independence across the country. Will the government act only when courts in Delhi and Mumbai are also told to function on communal lines? By then, it will be too late.
The Bar Council of India must take immediate action against the CDBA. The Supreme Court must initiate contempt proceedings against those responsible for this unconstitutional directive. The Prime Minister must publicly denounce this attack on the judiciary, or his silence will be interpreted as complicity. This is not just about Manipur; this is about the future of India’s democracy. If the judiciary can be dictated to by ethnic groups today, tomorrow the Constitution itself will be up for negotiation.
Mr. Prime Minister, India’s judiciary is under siege. What are you going to do about it? Will you protect the courts, or will you allow communal forces to decide the fate of justice in this country? If you allow this attack to go unchallenged, history will remember you not as a protector of democracy, but as a bystander who watched as the rule of law crumbled. The nation is waiting for your response.