Mon Nov 18 20:11:00 UTC 2024: ## Manipur Crisis Demands Presidential Intervention, Says Legal Expert
**Imphal, Manipur – November 19, 2024** – Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave has called for the immediate invocation of Article 356 of the Indian Constitution to address the ongoing crisis in Manipur. In a scathing editorial published today, Dave argues that the state’s prolonged violence, marked by widespread killings, displacement, and destruction, constitutes a “classic case of the failure of the constitutional machinery.”
Dave highlights the inadequacy of the Supreme Court’s intervention, criticizing its slow and ineffective response despite numerous hearings. He points to the continued violence, including a recent incident where a mother of three was raped and murdered, as evidence of the court’s failure to protect the fundamental rights of Manipur’s citizens. Over 250 people have been killed and over 100,000 displaced since May 2023.
The editorial emphasizes the constitutional basis for presidential intervention, referencing debates within the Constituent Assembly in 1949. Dave contends that while Article 356 has been misused in the past, its application in this instance would be widely welcomed. He directly criticizes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for its perceived lack of decisive action, urging immediate steps to restore peace, harmony, justice, relief, and rehabilitation in the state.
The article concludes by asserting that the President, Droupadi Murmu, possesses both the power and the duty to act swiftly to quell the escalating violence and restore order in Manipur. The continued violence, Dave argues, demands immediate and decisive action from the highest levels of government.
First Piper 