The Centre has appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan as the new chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate the ethnic violence in Manipur. The appointment was announced through a government order issued on February 26. Justice Chauhan will take charge of the commission from March 1.He replaces Justice Ajai Lamba, who had been heading the panel since its formation. Justice Lamba’s resignation will take effect on February 28, according to the official notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and published in the gazette.The Commission of Inquiry was constituted by the Centre on June 4, 2023, following a recommendation from the Manipur government. The panel was set up to examine the circumstances that led to the outbreak of large-scale ethnic violence in the state.
The commission has been tasked with studying the sequence of events that triggered the unrest. It will also examine whether there were any lapses or failure of duty on the part of authorities or individuals. Another key mandate of the panel is to assess whether the administrative steps taken to prevent and control the violence were adequate.In addition, the commission is reviewing complaints and allegations submitted by individuals and organisations in connection with the violence.The ethnic clashes in Manipur began on May 3, 2023, after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to oppose the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the Meitei community. The unrest later spread to several districts and continued for months.
More than 260 people have lost their lives in the violence, and thousands were displaced from their homes. Large-scale damage to houses, religious structures and other properties was reported during the period of unrest.The tensions had been building up earlier over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest areas. Several protests had taken place before the situation escalated into widespread conflict.
