Manipur: Granting ST a parliamentary role not by judiciary, says Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee

The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) has asserted that judiciary is not responsible body to finalise inclusion of any particular community in Scheduled Tribe list. The said matter has to be done by Parliament.

In a statement issued by the committee stated that there is a misperception among a section of the society with respect to Meetei/Meitei community’s demand for scheduled tribe list. The confusion was created due to misreporting of recent Manipur High Court order by some national media. The judgement urged to delete para number 17 (iii) of the judgement passed by the then chief justice of the same court on March 27 last year. 

The release informed that Para 17 clause (iii) of the judgment says "The first respondent shall consider the case of the petitioner for inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the ST list, expeditiously, preferably within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.” But unfortunately, some national media published judgement of the High Court with a misleading narrative as if Meitei’s demand for ST has been rejected or dropped by court. 

The actual meaning of the judgement is that the issue pertaining to the ST status demand by Meitei/Meetei is not in the jurisdiction of any Court as per the law of the land, the release clarified.

It went on to state that lodging a complaint on matter pertaining to the ST demand at a court won't be maintainable as per legal experts they (STDCM) have consulted with.

“Many people had advised the STDCM to take the help of the Court to take forward the demand to enlist Meetei/Meitei in the ST list. They discussed matter of taking the help of the judiciary but later it came to learn that it won't be tenable,” the release said. 

The release said that to grant ST status to any community is not in the jurisdiction of a Court and the same position was affirmed by the ruling of the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court in "State of Maharashtra vs Milind & Ors., (2001) 1 SCC 4". 

The only complaint which can be taken to a Court in connection with Meetei/Meitei's demand for ST status is about the non-disposal of the letter sent by the Centre to the State on May 29, 2013 till date. The Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union might have approached the High Court dissatisfying the alleged irresponsible act of state government, it stated.

Saying that the matter may have reached the Manipur High Court over the failure of the State Government to send the recommendation sought by the Centre, it reiterated the state government to submit the necessary documents at earliest. 

Inclusion of Meitei or Meetei is only way to protect the community from extinction and have secure future. As such STDCM has submitted a memorandum each to all Meetei/Meitei MLAs and Ministers to send the recommendation in January 2024, it informed while appealing to all the MLAs and Ministers concerned to do the needful in the interest of the people.

The release also urged state government to address the apprehension of those who already included in the ST list and to convince them that addition of Meetei/Meitei in the ST will be beneficial to all.

It may be mentioned that Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union filed a petition last year in connection with inclusion of Meitei or Meetei in ST list.

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