IMPHAL, March 21: The All Manipur Bar Association (AMBA) has appealed to its Churachandpur district counterpart to retract its directive preventing a Meitei Supreme Court (SC) judge, Justice N Kotiswar Singh, from visiting the Kuki-Zo-dominated area.

A six-member Supreme Court delegation, comprising Justice B R Gavai, Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, M M Sundresh, K V Vishwanathan and N Kotiswar Singh, is scheduled to visit the ethnic violence-hit state on Saturday to distribute relief materials in the ethnic violence-affected Churachandpur district.

The AMBA emphasized that the judge’s visit is not politically motivated, urging the Churachandpur District Bar Association to welcome the visit. The AMBA stated that the visit is purely humanitarian, with the aim to assess the conditions of displaced persons in relief camps and bring aid to the affected community.

In response, Grace Chiinhoihniang, president of the Churachandpur District Bar Association, clarified that the directive was issued not out of ill-will but in consideration of public sentiment amid the ongoing ethnic tensions. “The directive was issued for the safety of the judge, considering the high emotions and tensions due to the current situation in the state,” she said.

Chiinhoihniang further explained that the notice was issued after civil bodies expressed concerns over the visit, prompting the lawyers’ body to take preventive measures to avoid any incidents. She noted that the association holds no personal ill feelings toward the Meitei community, especially towards Justice Kotiswar Singh.

The AMBA president, Puyam Tomcha Meitei, expressed disappointment with the directive, calling it unethical and unwarranted. He also stated that the judges’ visit was historic and vital for addressing the challenges faced by internally displaced persons in relief camps, adding that even politically-oriented bodies advocating for separate administration have not objected to the visit.

Justice Kotiswar Singh, who hails from Manipur, has reached the esteemed position of a Supreme Court judge, and Chiinhoihniang, while supporting his achievements, expressed personal admiration for him. Despite this, she reiterated that the directive was necessary to ensure public safety during these sensitive times.