‘Vote to strengthen ties of indigenes’
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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 18 : Stating that all six candidates of the Lok Sabha election in Inner Manipur Parliamentary seat have expressed their endorsement to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demand by the Meeteis, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) has appealed to all the electors to study the merit of all the candidates and cast their votes in favour of the person whom they believe will strengthen the bond among the indigenous people and protect the Meetei/Meitei and the State's unity and integrity.
STDCM, in a statement, recounted how the movement to enlist Meetei/Meitei in the ST list under Article 342(I) of the Constitution has gained momentum over the course of time with the support of different clubs, meira paibi lups and organisations.
Continuing that the Central Government had on May 29, 2013 asked the then State Government to submit a recommendation along with the required documents to verify whether Meetei/Meitei can be given the ST tag, the STDCM said that the recommendation, unfortunately, hasn't been sent as of yet.
The STDCM has been carrying out a series of campaigns for the successive State Governments to send the recommendation but to no avail, it added.
The Committee also recounted how one organisation took the matter to the High Court of Manipur and the subsequent direction from the Court to the State Government to send the recommendation.
ATSUM organised a tribal solidarity march 'against the High Court's directive' on May 3, 2023 but it turned violent at Churachandpur after heavily armed Kuki miscreants suspected to be militants attacked Torbung, the STDCM said and maintained that a chain of violent incidents was unleashed at other places after the Torbung incident where several Meetei houses were torched.
The tribal solidarity march was also taken out by Nagas too where it all ended peacefully.
Over 200 people have died while thousands of families of both the warring communities have been displaced, the STDCM continued and maintained that there is no normalcy in Manipur as of yet.
Amid the cry of separation and displacement in Manipur, the Government issued a notification to hold the 18th Lok Sabha election, the Committee added.
Saying that the STDCM resolved to make the ST demand by the Meetei/Meitei a poll issue 'as it is the most important matter for the State and her people,' the Committee maintained that they first started a poster campaign at Khwairamband Keithel on April 4 and started meeting the candidates of the Lok Sabha election in Inner seat from April 7 onwards.
The STDCM has met all the candidates viz Bimol Akoijam (Congress), Th Basantakumar (BJP), Maheshwar (RPI-A), retd Colonel H Sarat (Independent) and M Tomtomshana alias Nongshaba (Independent) except RK Somorendro alias Kaiku (Independent) due to some circumstances.
The STDCM said that all the six candidates endorse the demand to grant ST tag to the Meetei/Meitei.
Saying that the ST demand wasn't taken seriously by the Meetei/Meitei earlier, the Committee added that the movement now has been supported by the majority of the Meetei/Meitei people given all the threats the ethnic group has been facing.
The STDCM thanked all the people, clubs, meira paibi lups and organisations who support the movement to add Meetei/Meitei in the ST list.
IMPHAL, Apr 18 : Stating that all six candidates of the Lok Sabha election in Inner Manipur Parliamentary seat have expressed their endorsement to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demand by the Meeteis, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) has appealed to all the electors to study the merit of all the candidates and cast their votes in favour of the person whom they believe will strengthen the bond among the indigenous people and protect the Meetei/Meitei and the State's unity and integrity.
STDCM, in a statement, recounted how the movement to enlist Meetei/Meitei in the ST list under Article 342(I) of the Constitution has gained momentum over the course of time with the support of different clubs, meira paibi lups and organisations.
Continuing that the Central Government had on May 29, 2013 asked the then State Government to submit a recommendation along with the required documents to verify whether Meetei/Meitei can be given the ST tag, the STDCM said that the recommendation, unfortunately, hasn't been sent as of yet.
The STDCM has been carrying out a series of campaigns for the successive State Governments to send the recommendation but to no avail, it added.
The Committee also recounted how one organisation took the matter to the High Court of Manipur and the subsequent direction from the Court to the State Government to send the recommendation.
ATSUM organised a tribal solidarity march 'against the High Court's directive' on May 3, 2023 but it turned violent at Churachandpur after heavily armed Kuki miscreants suspected to be militants attacked Torbung, the STDCM said and maintained that a chain of violent incidents was unleashed at other places after the Torbung incident where several Meetei houses were torched.
The tribal solidarity march was also taken out by Nagas too where it all ended peacefully.
Over 200 people have died while thousands of families of both the warring communities have been displaced, the STDCM continued and maintained that there is no normalcy in Manipur as of yet.
Amid the cry of separation and displacement in Manipur, the Government issued a notification to hold the 18th Lok Sabha election, the Committee added.
Saying that the STDCM resolved to make the ST demand by the Meetei/Meitei a poll issue 'as it is the most important matter for the State and her people,' the Committee maintained that they first started a poster campaign at Khwairamband Keithel on April 4 and started meeting the candidates of the Lok Sabha election in Inner seat from April 7 onwards.
The STDCM has met all the candidates viz Bimol Akoijam (Congress), Th Basantakumar (BJP), Maheshwar (RPI-A), retd Colonel H Sarat (Independent) and M Tomtomshana alias Nongshaba (Independent) except RK Somorendro alias Kaiku (Independent) due to some circumstances.
The STDCM said that all the six candidates endorse the demand to grant ST tag to the Meetei/Meitei.
Saying that the ST demand wasn't taken seriously by the Meetei/Meitei earlier, the Committee added that the movement now has been supported by the majority of the Meetei/Meitei people given all the threats the ethnic group has been facing.
The STDCM thanked all the people, clubs, meira paibi lups and organisations who support the movement to add Meetei/Meitei in the ST list.