Manipur government warns against renaming districts and institutions without approval

Imphal: The government of Manipur has issued a notification cautioning against the renaming of districts and institutions without prior approval.

The government argues that such actions could potentially lead to conflicts among communities and exacerbate the current law and order situation in the state.

The notification specifies that anyone found violating this directive will be subject to prosecution under relevant laws. This measure comes in the wake of ethnic clashes that erupted in Manipur on May 3, following a 'Tribal Solidarity March' organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

The order, issued by Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, explicitly states, "No one shall make or attempt to make any deliberate act of renaming districts, sub-divisions, places, institutions, and addresses of such institutions without the approval of the state government."

The notification underscores that the government has received information indicating that various civil society organisations, institutions, establishments, and individuals have been intentionally renaming or attempting to rename districts, which could lead to controversy and conflict between communities in the state. This is a matter of utmost sensitivity as such practices are likely to further divide or worsen the current law and order situation in Manipur.

The directive comes in response to a recent move by a Churachandpur-based Zo organisation to rename the district as 'Lamka.'

In Manipur, Meiteis make up approximately 53% of the population and primarily reside in the Imphal Valley, while Nagas and Kukis, who are tribal communities, constitute just over 40% and live in the hill districts.