New Delhi: The Justice Gita Mittal Committee has urged the Supreme Court to appoint 12 experts for facilitating its work involving rehabilitation measures in strife-torn Manipur.
In one of its three reports submitted to the court on 19 August, the all-woman panel, also comprising former judges Justices Shalini P. Joshi and Asha Menon, suggested experts as per the task earmarked to it by the Supreme Court.
On 7 August, a bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud had constituted the panel with an intention to provide a healing touch to the victims of the ethnic clashes that began in May following a Manipur High Court order, which asked the state to consider a representation by the Meiti community to grant the status of scheduled tribe.
The order broadly sets out seven thematic subjects on which the Justice Mittal panel has to work. For compensation, the committee has asked the top court to direct the Centre and the state government to provide adequate funds to the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MASLSA), which, it suggested, should be nodal agency to identity the victims and families of those who died in the clashes and disburse the financial aid.
As per the SC order, the panel has to carry out comprehensive psychological assessment of the victims, particularly women and LGBTQI members who faced sexual violence. To undertake this assignment, the panel has recommended three doctors – Harish Shetty, Shekhar Seshasdri and Padma Deosthali.
For medical health care, the panel has identified certain areas for which it would need help from special experts. Suggesting names of two doctors for this purpose, the committee said its main focus would be to ensure that victims and survivors get free and comprehensive medical and psychological aid as well as access to free pregnancy test, free emergency contraceptives, sanitary pads, specialised medical care for people suffering with critical sickness, amongst others.
To cater to relief camps, the committee is likely to appoint nodal officers and also provide toll-free helplines at these shelters. These officers will ensure maintenance of a database of all persons housed in their relief camps.
For ensuring conditions of dignity including cleanliness in the relief camps and adequate rations and supply of essential products such as water and toiletries, the committee opined that “good practices” need to be followed for the management of such places.
“Advice from experienced relief and rehabilitation experts is essential to ensure expedition and efficiency in the measures to be taken in the Manipur context,” the report noted, while naming two experts — a former bureaucrat and a development adviser working with an NGO — for this purpose.
To follow the top court’s direction to inquire into the nature of violence that occurred in Manipur from 4 May onwards, the panel is of the view that it will entail conducting interactions and interviews of victims of gender-based violence. This, it said, requires specialisation and training for sensitive and best outcomes.
The committee proposed to seek assistance of trained and experienced persons who can conduct interviews. Advocating the name of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy for data reporting and monitoring, the Justice Mittal panel said experts from the think tank will also examine FIRs as well as media reports for the task.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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