Supporting the ongoing agitation of the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM), Young Voluntary Organisation (YVO) and Wangkhei Puja Meira Paibi Nupi Lup jointly staged a sit-in protest at Wangkhei Puja Lampak on Thursday demanding the inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.
Addressing the media at the sideline of the protest, president of YVO Y Binanda said that there is urgent need to include the Meetei/Meitei community in the ST list as the indigenous population is facing serious threat from extinction.
He further said that continuous influx of immigrants into the state has hugely affected the socio-economy of the state. The condition would worsen once the railway project comes into force, he said and suggested that as a precautionary measure, the state government should start taking deep concern for protection of indigenous community.
ALSO READ: ST Demand: Sit-in protest held in Imphal East
The population of Meitei/Meetei is fast dwindling and hence, it won't take much time for it to extinct once the railway project is implemented as influx of immigrants will increase manifold, he asserted while stressing the need for the Meitei/Meetei to have a constitutional safeguard.
He further said that like in the hill areas, the plain areas also require strict norms for selling land to other communities due to over flooding of immigrant populace in the region.
He assured that they would extend their best effort in any movement launched by STDCM until the highly necessary demand is fulfilled by the state government.
The protest was also held by Yaipha Lamjing Kanglup and Chingarel Tejpur Nupi Lup.
ALSO READ: 'Without tribal status, Meetei will no longer be indigenous'
