Meetei community is a living example of ‘Permanent Tribe’
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Nganba Khuman (President, KME)
This article has reference to one that appeared in this daily on the 29th and 30th March, 2025 under the caption “Meetei was never a tribe- a reply” written by one Dr L Krishnamangol Singh, an academic. The article is misleading to the world at large, and a great insult to the true indigenous people and Meetei community, in particular.
It is a foregone conclusion that Meetei community is a tribe that too a permanent one, as per Inter- national Labour Organisation (ILO) of UNO and Supreme Court of India. And, anthropologically and historically, the Meeteis settling in the central valley of Manipur and elsewhere, outside and inside the State, are the original inhabitants, aborigines, indigenous people of the State belonging to the great Mongoloid race, like the Tangkhul, Kabui, Kom, Thangal, Mao, Ma-ram, etc. who have seven clan system in their social setup and they are bonafide indigenous communities/tribes of the state. Except the Meetei tribe, the rest are listed in the Scheduled Tribe list of the country.
Indigenous people or indigenes are those who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived. In India, tribe and indigenous people are not recognised as synonymous but UNO. Tribes or tribals may be indigenous or non-indigenous and non-indi- genous tribes are nomadic in nature and cause most of the demographic imbalances in different parts of the world. Indigenous people are tribals but all tribes/tribals are not indigenous. According to the Supreme Court of India, in its landmark verdict on January 5, 2011, it has been stated that the present Scheduled Tribes of the country are the descendants of indigenous or original people of the country. According to this order of Supreme Court of India, Meetei community being bonafide indigenous people of the State is also a tribal group of the country but yet to be included in the list of Scheduled Tribe list of India.
Actually, Meetei continued to be a major tribe in the official British records till Manipur merged into Indian Union in 1949. In 1891 census, Manipuris (Meeteis) were recorded as Forest tribe; 1901 census, Main tribe and 1931 census, Hindu tribe but retaining their distinctive language and culture. But, unfortunately, after the merger of Manipur into Indian Union and subsequent to the formation of new Republic of India on January 26, 1950, the tribal or indigenous status of Meetei was abruptly dropped and enlisted in the General caste/category in 1951 census. There are plethora of official records, gazettes, publications, memoirs, books, etc. recognising Meetei as Principal tribe of Manipur and NE India. Imperial Gazetteer of Bengal and Assam (1909); Gazetteer of Manipur by Captain EW Dunn (1886); Statistical Accounts of the Nation State of Manipur and Hill Territory by Dr R Brown, political agent in Manipur (1873); Ethnicity and Social Change by Prof Gangumei Kamei; History of Tangkhul Nagas by ASW Shimray; The Meitheis written by TC Hudson, late political agent of Manipur (an anthropologist), etc. may be mentioned.
The fact that Meeteis are living in permanent tribal society till date is borne out by the historic resolution of International Labour Organisation (ILO), a specia- lised agency of UNO, which adopted in its convention no. 169 in 1989, which was based on general attitude of respect for the cultures and the way of life of indigenous and tribal people. This landmark resolution, however, contradicts convention no. 107 of 1957, which is based on temporary tribal societies but obsolete now.
In the context of Manipur, amidst the strong influence of Christianity and Hinduism in the hills and valley areas respectively, sizeable population of Kabui and Meetei population could withstand the wind of change and continued to embrace the old rituals of birth, marriage, death etc. of their forefathers till date. That is why UNO describes such communities who have been following the old culture, tradition, way of life, etc. of their ancestors as “permanent tribal society”. In Manipur, Meetei and Kabui communities are perfect living examples of Permanent tribal societies.
In the light of the above facts, the claim that Meetei was never a tribe is baseless and unfounded narrative of the author and some pseudo-scholars. It should be noted that the term “tribe” should not be used in a derogatory sense but with respect as the tribal people are the masters or original people while non-tribals as aliens or migrants coming later. As such 8.6 % ST or 10.4 crore population of India as per 2011 Census are indigenous people while the rest 91.4 % or 111.4 crore are non-indigenous coming from outside the country or alien origin. In Manipur, Meeteis and Nagas are bonafide indigenous people or masters of the land while the others are migrants coming only after 1840s and later and obtained ST status through deception and fraudulence by posing as indigenous people of Manipur.
This article has reference to one that appeared in this daily on the 29th and 30th March, 2025 under the caption “Meetei was never a tribe- a reply” written by one Dr L Krishnamangol Singh, an academic. The article is misleading to the world at large, and a great insult to the true indigenous people and Meetei community, in particular.
It is a foregone conclusion that Meetei community is a tribe that too a permanent one, as per Inter- national Labour Organisation (ILO) of UNO and Supreme Court of India. And, anthropologically and historically, the Meeteis settling in the central valley of Manipur and elsewhere, outside and inside the State, are the original inhabitants, aborigines, indigenous people of the State belonging to the great Mongoloid race, like the Tangkhul, Kabui, Kom, Thangal, Mao, Ma-ram, etc. who have seven clan system in their social setup and they are bonafide indigenous communities/tribes of the state. Except the Meetei tribe, the rest are listed in the Scheduled Tribe list of the country.
Indigenous people or indigenes are those who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived. In India, tribe and indigenous people are not recognised as synonymous but UNO. Tribes or tribals may be indigenous or non-indigenous and non-indi- genous tribes are nomadic in nature and cause most of the demographic imbalances in different parts of the world. Indigenous people are tribals but all tribes/tribals are not indigenous. According to the Supreme Court of India, in its landmark verdict on January 5, 2011, it has been stated that the present Scheduled Tribes of the country are the descendants of indigenous or original people of the country. According to this order of Supreme Court of India, Meetei community being bonafide indigenous people of the State is also a tribal group of the country but yet to be included in the list of Scheduled Tribe list of India.
Actually, Meetei continued to be a major tribe in the official British records till Manipur merged into Indian Union in 1949. In 1891 census, Manipuris (Meeteis) were recorded as Forest tribe; 1901 census, Main tribe and 1931 census, Hindu tribe but retaining their distinctive language and culture. But, unfortunately, after the merger of Manipur into Indian Union and subsequent to the formation of new Republic of India on January 26, 1950, the tribal or indigenous status of Meetei was abruptly dropped and enlisted in the General caste/category in 1951 census. There are plethora of official records, gazettes, publications, memoirs, books, etc. recognising Meetei as Principal tribe of Manipur and NE India. Imperial Gazetteer of Bengal and Assam (1909); Gazetteer of Manipur by Captain EW Dunn (1886); Statistical Accounts of the Nation State of Manipur and Hill Territory by Dr R Brown, political agent in Manipur (1873); Ethnicity and Social Change by Prof Gangumei Kamei; History of Tangkhul Nagas by ASW Shimray; The Meitheis written by TC Hudson, late political agent of Manipur (an anthropologist), etc. may be mentioned.
The fact that Meeteis are living in permanent tribal society till date is borne out by the historic resolution of International Labour Organisation (ILO), a specia- lised agency of UNO, which adopted in its convention no. 169 in 1989, which was based on general attitude of respect for the cultures and the way of life of indigenous and tribal people. This landmark resolution, however, contradicts convention no. 107 of 1957, which is based on temporary tribal societies but obsolete now.
In the context of Manipur, amidst the strong influence of Christianity and Hinduism in the hills and valley areas respectively, sizeable population of Kabui and Meetei population could withstand the wind of change and continued to embrace the old rituals of birth, marriage, death etc. of their forefathers till date. That is why UNO describes such communities who have been following the old culture, tradition, way of life, etc. of their ancestors as “permanent tribal society”. In Manipur, Meetei and Kabui communities are perfect living examples of Permanent tribal societies.
In the light of the above facts, the claim that Meetei was never a tribe is baseless and unfounded narrative of the author and some pseudo-scholars. It should be noted that the term “tribe” should not be used in a derogatory sense but with respect as the tribal people are the masters or original people while non-tribals as aliens or migrants coming later. As such 8.6 % ST or 10.4 crore population of India as per 2011 Census are indigenous people while the rest 91.4 % or 111.4 crore are non-indigenous coming from outside the country or alien origin. In Manipur, Meeteis and Nagas are bonafide indigenous people or masters of the land while the others are migrants coming only after 1840s and later and obtained ST status through deception and fraudulence by posing as indigenous people of Manipur.