The Supreme Court's observation that the law and order situation and constitutional system have completely broken down in Manipur is very serious. This criticism of the Supreme Court, which came at a time when the opposition was repeatedly demanding that the Prime Minister should make a statement in Parliament and that BJP Chief Minister Biren Singh, who had failed to control the riots, should be sacked, put the central government on the defensive. The Supreme Court has pointed out that there is a completely indifferent approach on the part of the state government in dealing with and controlling the communal riots that started on May 3. Even though the riots have been going on for so long, very few arrests have been made. There was a serious failure on the part of the police, including in the incident where Kuki made young women naked and subjected to gang rape. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ordered Manipur DGP to appear in the Supreme Court to give a direct explanation on matters including this.

The communal riots in Manipur led to heated discussions and protests across the country after the video of young Kuki women went viral. The central government, which had remained cold till then, had to assure the country that the attackers would not be allowed to escape. A Supreme Court-supervised committee has been appointed to investigate the atrocities in Manipur. Normally, if such things happen, the Chief Minister cannot continue in that position in any state. But it is not encouraging that the central government and the BJP leadership are still not ready to change Biren Singh.

In any place, riots can last for days when the police take a passive approach or favour the ruling party. Out of cowardice comes robbery and extortion. When the government takes drastic measures, the perpetrators hide in burrows like rats. At the same time, when the feeling that nothing will happen to them prevails under the shadow of political interference, the attackers dare to break all the boundaries and break loose. The same has happened in Manipur. This situation needs to change urgently. The central government should formulate a formula to solve the problem. We have a history of greater agitations, conflicts and differences resolved through democratic means than this. Be it the opposition or the ruling party, politics should not be given priority over the life of the common man. This is a time when everyone should move together to solve the problem without giving importance to arguments.