In a recent development, the Supreme Court has intervened in support of Dr. Jangkhomang Guite and Dr. Thongkholal Haokip, professors from the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur. They faced an unexpected First Information Report (FIR) related to a book titled "The Anglo-Kuki War 1917-1919," authored by retired Colonel Vijay Chenchi and published in 2019, India Today reported.
During a concise court hearing, Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, expressed astonishment at the filing of an FIR for a book written in 2018 and published in 2019. Senior counsel Anand Grover, representing the JNU professor, brought to light the challenges faced by the professor and their lawyers in Manipur, including harassment and intimidation.
Anand Grover further noted that the petitioners had not received copies of the FIRs, adding an element of uncertainty to the situation. In response to these concerns, the Supreme Court issued a notice and ordered that no coercive actions be taken against the petitioners for the time being. The case has been scheduled for a subsequent hearing in three weeks.
This legal action follows a previous incident in August, where a group primarily consisting of Meiteis from the valley region filed an FIR against the authors of the same book, alleging an attempt to cast Kukis as "aggressive" interlopers. This situation has also drawn attention from Naga groups questioning the validity of Kuki claims.
