Manipur: Protest seeking ST status to Meiteis intensifies

The STDCM handed over a memo to minister L. Susindro Meitei. The minister in response to this assured of raising issue with CM N Biren Singh.

The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur staged a sit-in protest at the residence of PHED minister L. Susindro Meitei. The agitation demanding inclusion of Meitei in the ST list under 342 of the Indian Constitution has picked pace in the state from the past few days.

Represetatives of the STDCM submitted a memorandum to the minister in support of its demand. Minister L. Susindro Meitei, after meeting the STDCM representatives, said that he would raise the issue with Chief Minister N. Biren Singh as well as the cabinet. Meitei said that he would press for forwarding the ST status to Meiteis issue to the Centre.

Besides, the minister also backed the demand of the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur. The minister reiterated that he had signed the signature campaign launched by the STDCM, since he himself belongs to the Meitei community.

The memorandum highlighted that the indigenous Meitei community of Manipur is presently without any Constitutional safeguard to protect their distinctive indigenous identity and preserve their ancestral land.

As a consequence, they are being gradually marginalized in their own ancestral land of Manipur. If the current trend, where there is no such Constitutional safeguard, continues they will ultimately be reduced to minority and become refugees in their own ancestral land of Manipur, the memo added.

Earlier, on October 13, the STDCM has adopted 6 resolutions in the public convention to press for the inclusion of the indigenous Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list.

Among the resolutions adopted include, continuation of sit-in protests, hand over memorandums to MPs and MLAs, launching Meira rallies, imposition of shutdown and other general strikes based on time and situation.

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