Initiate due process to enlist Meitei in ST group: STDCM
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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 7: The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) has urged the authorities concerned to initiate due process for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the list of Scheduled Tribes before the Lok Sabha election of 2024.
Speaking to media persons at Hotel Phouoibi, North AOC here today, STDCM president Dhiraj Yumnam said that the priorities of the people in the midst of the violent crisis is self defence and bringing an end to the violence.
As deliberated at its consultative meeting held on May 21, STDCM has been extending solidarity to the COCOMI and all its activities, Dhiraj said.
Although it appeared that the tribal solidarity march organised by ATSUM in protest against the Manipur High Court’s directive regarding the demand for enlistment of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category was the principal factor for the protracted violence, STDCM gave detailed reports of the many underlying agenda/causes to Central leaders and leaders of different political parties who visited the State in the backdrop of the crisis, he said.
A Bill on enlistment of 41 communities of Assam including Tai Ahom in the ST category is pending in the Rajya Sabha.
Once this Bill is passed which is possible any moment, Meitei/Meetei would be the only community in the entire North East region which is not included in the ST list, the STDCM president said.
If the Meitei/Meetei is left alone out of the ST category, the community would face a very critical crisis of survival, he said.
The authorities concerned are, therefore, appealed to send necessary recommendation to the Centre so that a Bill for enlistment of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category can be passed together with the Assam Bill, Dhiraj said.
He also informed that they submitted a representation/reminder to Chief Minister N Biren yesterday to this end.
Had Meitei/Meetei been included in the ST list, they could have faced the ongoing aggression in a very fair manner.
By denying ST status to the Meitei/Meetei, the community has been placed in a highly disadvantageous and unfair position. For all these reasons, there is an urgent need to strengthen the movement for enlistment of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category, Dhiraj said. He urged the State Government to initiate due process for enlistment of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category by sending ethnography and socio-economic survey reports to the Centre so that the community can be declared as a ST community before the next year’s Lok Sabha election. The STDCM also launched a website today.
IMPHAL, Oct 7: The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) has urged the authorities concerned to initiate due process for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the list of Scheduled Tribes before the Lok Sabha election of 2024.
Speaking to media persons at Hotel Phouoibi, North AOC here today, STDCM president Dhiraj Yumnam said that the priorities of the people in the midst of the violent crisis is self defence and bringing an end to the violence.
As deliberated at its consultative meeting held on May 21, STDCM has been extending solidarity to the COCOMI and all its activities, Dhiraj said.
Although it appeared that the tribal solidarity march organised by ATSUM in protest against the Manipur High Court’s directive regarding the demand for enlistment of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category was the principal factor for the protracted violence, STDCM gave detailed reports of the many underlying agenda/causes to Central leaders and leaders of different political parties who visited the State in the backdrop of the crisis, he said.
A Bill on enlistment of 41 communities of Assam including Tai Ahom in the ST category is pending in the Rajya Sabha.
Once this Bill is passed which is possible any moment, Meitei/Meetei would be the only community in the entire North East region which is not included in the ST list, the STDCM president said.
If the Meitei/Meetei is left alone out of the ST category, the community would face a very critical crisis of survival, he said.
The authorities concerned are, therefore, appealed to send necessary recommendation to the Centre so that a Bill for enlistment of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category can be passed together with the Assam Bill, Dhiraj said.
He also informed that they submitted a representation/reminder to Chief Minister N Biren yesterday to this end.
Had Meitei/Meetei been included in the ST list, they could have faced the ongoing aggression in a very fair manner.
By denying ST status to the Meitei/Meetei, the community has been placed in a highly disadvantageous and unfair position. For all these reasons, there is an urgent need to strengthen the movement for enlistment of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category, Dhiraj said. He urged the State Government to initiate due process for enlistment of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category by sending ethnography and socio-economic survey reports to the Centre so that the community can be declared as a ST community before the next year’s Lok Sabha election. The STDCM also launched a website today.