📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Colesworthey Grant
Politics
Manipur's oldest law-and-order mechanism hinders justice and peace
✍️ ThePrint
🗓 27 Sep 2026, 03:18 AM
👁 12
The state's longest-standing customary law-and-order system, once credited with maintaining peace, is now obstructing justice and prolonging conflicts, analysts say.
Manipur's oldest law-and-order mechanism, which has existed for generations as a customary means of settling disputes, is hindering the delivery of justice and the restoration of peace in the state.
Observers say that the system’s procedures often conflict with formal legal processes, leading to delays in investigations and inconsistent outcomes in cases of violence.
Civil society groups and some government officials have urged a review of the mechanism to ensure it aligns with contemporary human rights standards while preserving its cultural significance.
The situation highlights the broader challenge of integrating traditional institutions with modern judicial frameworks in Manipur’s pursuit of lasting stability.
Observers say that the system’s procedures often conflict with formal legal processes, leading to delays in investigations and inconsistent outcomes in cases of violence.
Civil society groups and some government officials have urged a review of the mechanism to ensure it aligns with contemporary human rights standards while preserving its cultural significance.
The situation highlights the broader challenge of integrating traditional institutions with modern judicial frameworks in Manipur’s pursuit of lasting stability.