Session backs ST demand

IMPHAL, Feb 28 : The Guwahati Plenary Session of the World Meetei Convention today has resolved to ask the Centre to give Scheduled Tribe status to the Meetei community. The plenary session held at Shilpgram, Panjabari, Guwahati discussed several key issues to connect and strengthen brotherhood among the Meetei people living in India and abroad. Among others, the delegates from across India and abroad deliberated on the need to improve the socio-economic condition of the Meeteis and decided that enlisting the community in the ST list would bring development and provide them Constitutional protection.
The plenary session observed that the Meetei community has no Constitutional protection at present to safeguard its people, land and their interests.
Resolving to appeal to the Centre to include the Meetei community as one of the Scheduled Tribe communities, the WMC said that it would “go to any extent to achieve the goal”.
It may be noted that several civil society organisations including the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) have also been urging the Centre to include Meetei/Meitei community in the ST list.
Recently, the STDCM had strongly condemned the Government for not taking up initiatives and efforts to send the required recommendation to the Centre to include Meetei/Meitei community in the ST list.
The World Meetei Convention (WMC) was formed to connect and develop brotherhood across borders towards building a vibrant socio-economic and culture for the Meetei people living across the globe.