Manipur Govt Asks Officials To Quit Social Media Groups

The Manipur government has ordered officials to quit formal and informal groups on social media platforms that further “separatist, anti-national, communal and divisive agendas”.

The order has come amid reports that bureaucracy and the police are split on ethnic lines in Manipur, The Hindu reported.

The report stated that compliance report has been sought from all government departments.

“The letter sent by T. Ranjit Singh, Commissioner (Home), is part of a status report filed by the Manipur government in Supreme Court on August 1,”it said.

The report quoting the letter said: “It has been noticed that many formal and informal groups on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and other chat groups are engaged in furthering separatist, anti-national, anti-State, anti-social, communal and divisive agendas which cause disturbance in existing peaceful social harmony and law and order situation of the State.”

“It added that members of the groups, to push their respective agendas, indulge in spreading false information, hate speech and videos, as well as sharing information which should not be available in public domain,” the report mentioned.

The letter stated that many senior officers are members of the social media groups “inadvertently or by choice” adding that “some government employees are also contributing, sharing and commenting” on blogging and microblogging sites in a manner unbecoming of a government employee, it said.

It warned that being a member of such groups is “in contravention of Rules 5 and 7 or both of All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, and Rules 5, 9, and 11 or all three of Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964”, and such members are liable to face disciplinary action. Similar guidelines were also issued in August 2022, the report mentioned.

More than 150 people have been killed in the ethnic violence between Kuki and Meitei communities that erupted on May 3.