Sidelining the ST for Meiteis demand Changing narratives
|
It was a lie, but a lie told so emphatically that it is amazing to see that this no longer features in any of the talks doing the round to resolve the issue which has been plaguing Manipur since the evening of May 3, 2023. It was supposedly against the directive of the High Court of Manipur to the State Government to send the ethnographic and socio-economic status report of the Meiteis to the Centre in the face of the report sought by the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry back in 2013 that the All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur staged the Tribal Solidarity March on May 3, 2023. This line was peddled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the initial days of the conflict and after some time even former Chief Minister N Biren fell in line, citing the ST for Meiteis demand as one of the reasons for the violence to erupt. The Sangai Express has always countered this narrative but in a way it is amazing that the ST for Meiteis point now no longer feature in the official take of the Government while touching on any topic to pave the way for normalcy to return. The question is, if the ST for Meiteis demand was one of the reasons for the State to go up in flames on May 3, 2023, why is this issue being sidelined now ? The Chura-chandpur based Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), the Committee on Tribal Unity, Kuki Inpi, Manipur and the Kuki-Zo Council have neatly and conveniently sidestepped this topic now while nothing has been heard from the Union Home Ministry on this point. Beats logic to even think that an issue which was flagged as one of the reasons for the violence to erupt should now be so quietly pushed aside. In the nearly three years of violence and stand off, not once has this topic been mentioned and logic says that an issue which was highlighted as one of the reasons for the violence to erupt should be included in any talk of paving the path to normalcy. Why the silence on this point now is a question Manipur ought to raise. More than evident that it was a sort of a political move to deflect the failure of the Government to take up concrete actions on time and for letting the violence to spread rapidly in the first few days after May 3, 2023. Amusing it is, but dangerous too, for in pointing fingers at the ruling of the High Court of Manipur, the Government preferred to toe the line first floated by ATSUM. If at all the ST for Meiteis demand was one of the reasons, then any talk should also include this point. This is simple and plain deduction. The Government cannot and should not try to escape responsibility by pointing to a ruling of the High Court, an order which has since been withdrawn.
From Day 1 of the conflict erupting on May 3, 2023, The Sangai Express has been consistent in its narrative and that is, it is not the job of the Judiciary to decide which community fits the bill to be included in the ST list. All that the High Court of Manipur asked the State Government to do was to send the ethnographic and socio-economic status report of the Meiteis to the Centre to study the feasibility of including the Meiteis in the ST category. The Judiciary cannot decide whether the Meiteis should be included in the ST list or not. A fact which must be known to ATSUM and other organisations like ITLF and hence the lie under which the Tribal Solidarity March was organised on May 3, 2023. Much have been debated, written about on whether Meiteis fit the bill be included in the ST list or not, but it should not be forgotten that in the long years the demand has been raised, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, Manipur (STDCM), the Meetei/Meitei Tribe Union (MMTU), World Meetei Council (WMC) and others had never ever resorted to violence. A fact that should be acknowledged by all. At the moment, the ST for Meiteis demand has rather been quiet save for the occasional statements and remarks made by the MMTU but this should not be taken to mean that the demand has been pushed aside. The signature campaign launched some time back is a point that should be recalled and highlighted. So too the house to house campaign conducted by the STDCM at the residences of the 40 Meitei MLAs are there on record and on the basis of this strength a call must be given to the new Chief Minister.
From Day 1 of the conflict erupting on May 3, 2023, The Sangai Express has been consistent in its narrative and that is, it is not the job of the Judiciary to decide which community fits the bill to be included in the ST list. All that the High Court of Manipur asked the State Government to do was to send the ethnographic and socio-economic status report of the Meiteis to the Centre to study the feasibility of including the Meiteis in the ST category. The Judiciary cannot decide whether the Meiteis should be included in the ST list or not. A fact which must be known to ATSUM and other organisations like ITLF and hence the lie under which the Tribal Solidarity March was organised on May 3, 2023. Much have been debated, written about on whether Meiteis fit the bill be included in the ST list or not, but it should not be forgotten that in the long years the demand has been raised, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, Manipur (STDCM), the Meetei/Meitei Tribe Union (MMTU), World Meetei Council (WMC) and others had never ever resorted to violence. A fact that should be acknowledged by all. At the moment, the ST for Meiteis demand has rather been quiet save for the occasional statements and remarks made by the MMTU but this should not be taken to mean that the demand has been pushed aside. The signature campaign launched some time back is a point that should be recalled and highlighted. So too the house to house campaign conducted by the STDCM at the residences of the 40 Meitei MLAs are there on record and on the basis of this strength a call must be given to the new Chief Minister.