Manipur civil bodies to restart movement seeking inclusion of Meiteis in ST list

While announcing that the movement for inclusion of Meitei or Meetei in schedule tribe list will resume soon, civil bodies in Manipur today urged the MLAs and ministers to persuade Chief Minister N Biren Singh in connection with the said demand.

Addressing a press conference held on January 16 at Thangmeiband, general secretary of Scheduled Tribe Demand Commitee Manipur (STDCM), K Bhogendrajit said that they have been launching the movement for inclusion of Meiteis or Meeteis in schedule tribe list in different forms. But owing to present crisis, the movement was halted. However the commitee has now decided to relaunch the agitation as a little bit of normalcy has returned in the state. 

Bhongendrajit informed that earlier before the present conflict unfolded, the commitee had submitted memorandums to at least 34 MLAs regarding inclusion of Meiteis in Schedule Tribe category as a part of their movement. He also said that majority of the MLAs have supported their demand. 

He siad that they had urged the MLAs to translate their assurances of extending support met to them while submitting the memorandum. 

Here, the committee made an appeal to the MLAs to persuade Chief Minister N Biren Singh in this regard and send necessary documents required in enlisting Meiteis in the ST list. It was also stated that proactive steps should be taken up on or before January 31. 

Supplementing the press briefing, chairman of the World Meitei Council, Heikrujam Nabashyam said that from the past 10 years, the movement is being launched to recognise Meiteis in ST list. He said that the state government is still not sending the necessary recommendations such as ethno-graphic report and socio-economic status of the Meitei community, which is very unfortunate.

Nabashyam also said that the population of Meiteis is shrinking with each decade. According to 1991 census, around 60 percent of population is Meetei or Meitei. But in 2011 census, it has been reduce to 44 percent. He further said that after three decades, Meitei will surely face socio-political upheaval. It was also stated here that to prevent such consequences, the only means is to get constitutional safeguard by getting recognition of Scheduled Tribe status. 

He also said that as the Union Ministry has already informed to submit necessary documents to enlist Meiteis in the ST list. Therefore, Nabashyam said that Meiteis will get ST status if and only if state government sends the above said reports. 

It was further stated that implementation of ILPs, NRC and constructing border fencing is a good initiative. Yet these are not the ultimate solution to protect Meitei or Meetei from threat of identity crisis, he expressed.