Anthony Naulak's Cries Echo in Apex Court: Two-Month Deadline for Justice Mittal Committee

One ordinary man's persistent voice has finally pierced the corridors of India's highest judiciary, the Supreme Court. The Apex Court disposed of the petition but directed the Justice Gita Mittal committee to specifically examine the deficiencies highlighted by Anthony Naulak and submit a detailed report as early as possible, preferably within two months.

Anthony Naulak, a 40-year-old internally displaced person (IDP) from Imphal whose roots trace back to Gouchinkhup Veng in New Lamka, Churachandpur, is no stranger to loss and limbo. As the son of the late Robert Naulak, he represents not abstract statistics but a father who has endured displacement, loss, and the daily grind of survival with dignity.

The Supreme Court's recent directive on January 19, 2026, in the case of Anthony Naulak versus the District Commissioner of Churachandpur and others, marks yet another chapter in the prolonged tragedy of Manipur's ethnic conflict. 

This is not merely a procedural order; it is a stark reminder of the state's humanitarian failure nearly three years after violence erupted on May 3, 2023, between two communities in Manipur. 

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Dipankar Datta, and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, has asked the three-member committee headed by retired Justice Gita Mittal to examine deficiencies in facilities at relief camps—particularly the 14 in Churachandpur—and submit a report preferably within two months.

This intervention stems from a Special Leave Petition challenging the Manipur High Court's October 28, 2025, order dismissing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Anthony Naulak. The High Court had declined to delve into the merits, citing that the Supreme Court was already seized of the broader Manipur crisis through the Justice Mittal committee.

On July 28, 2025, Anthony submitted a detailed representation to the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur, the State Chief Secretary, and the Ministry of Home Affairs. He highlighted acute shortages in food, sanitation, medical care, and financial aid across relief camps. 

Undeterred by bureaucratic inertia, he escalated the matter via a 39-page PIL No. 25 of 2025 on September 15, 2025, naming key authorities as respondents. His demands were precise and humane: raise daily assistance to ₹100 per IDP (regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or religion); disburse ₹1,000 five times to current and future IDPs; ensure nutritious food including weekly non-vegetarian items and adequate water; establish weekly medical camps with medicines (extending to IDPs outside camps); maintain toilets at a 1:10 ratio; audit and publish camp funds on the DC's website; and upload all IDP-related communications publicly.These requests expose the gap between official claims and ground realities. 

The Supreme Court, disposing of the SLP, forwarded Anthony Naulak's grievances to the Gita Mittal committee, which already oversees holistic rehabilitation: investigating violence against women and children, trauma care, rations, infant needs (milk, sanitary pads), sanitation, disease control, counseling, compensation, property restitution, nodal officers, databases, and even recognizing a "third category" of unregistered IDPs.

This judicial nudge is welcome but overdue. The Manipur crisis has festered since May 2023, claiming over 300 lives, displacing more than 70,000, burning thousands of homes, and vandalizing places of worship. 

Despite President's Rule imposed in February 2025—suspending the state government and placing administration under the Centre—conditions remain dire. Reports describe cramped, unsanitary shelters with limited healthcare, poor nutrition, water shortages, and outbreaks of diseases like measles and dysentery. Chronic patients struggle without specialist care, and livelihoods have evaporated.The state's response has been piecemeal. 

A Rs 523-crore rehabilitation package was announced in the 2025-26 budget (passed under President's Rule), with phased resettlement prioritizing partially damaged homes and PMAY-G beneficiaries. Yet, only about 10,000 have been resettled, often in temporary prefabricated units, while security concerns, land availability, and trust deficits hinder progress. 

The Justice Mittal committee, formed in August 2023, has had its tenure extended multiple times (most recently to July 31, 2025, in earlier orders), reflecting the complexity of its mandate. It has visited sites, submitted status reports, and addressed gender-based violence and compensation.

However, petitioners have critiqued its Delhi-centric location, arguing it limits "easy access" to ground realities. This is a valid concern. The remote oversight risks missing nuances, such as ethnic biases in aid distribution, where camps in the valley reportedly receive more government support via local sponsors, while Kuki camps rely on community and church efforts.

Anthony Naulak's petition exposes a deeper failure. The dehumanization of IDPs living in limbo erodes dignity, families cram into tents or makeshift structures, children miss education, elders forego medical needs, and hope fades. The demand for transparent audits and public disclosure of communications is crucial to combat potential mismanagement or favoritism. 

The Supreme Court's order is a step toward accountability, but it must not become another deferral. The Mittal committee should prioritize Anthony Naulak's specific allegations. Inadequate food (beyond basic rations), medical lapses (no regular camps or medicines), sanitation shortfalls (toilets far below standards), and paltry financial aid. 

It must engage directly with IDPs, including unregistered ones, and recommend enforceable timelines.Ultimately, Manipur's healing requires more than reports. It demands political will to bridge ethnic divides, ensure impartial aid, rebuild infrastructure, and foster dialogue. 

For Anthony Naulak and countless others still waiting in cramped tents, uncertain futures, and fading hope, this Apex Court's order represents a fragile thread of accountability. Whether it translates into tangible change—better rations, medical access, transparent governance—will depend on swift, impartial action by the committee and the authorities it scrutinizes. 

In the meantime, his cry continues to echo, reminding the nation that justice delayed is not just denied; in the lives of the displaced, it is endured daily.