The Meetei-Pangal Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee (MPSTDC) on Tuesday announced that a strong movement will be launched to raise the demand upon the state government to make Manipur an inclusive scheduled tribe state as a whole from January 27.
The MPSTDC announced the line of action to be taken up to fulfill the collective demand of the Meetei-Pangal community during a press meet held at MPSTDC office in Hatta, Imphal East. The move came after a resolution to leave the responsibilities and duties of demanding the ST status to MPSTDC was taken during a People’s Convention on January 22.
The MPSTDC decided to meet all the 60 MLAs and political leaders and mount pressure upon them to table the demand of listing Meetei-Pangal on ST list on the floor of the House during the upcoming Assembly session, said MPSTDC convenor Islam Makakcha.
A reminder will also be submitted to the chief minister on the demand of MPSTDC, he said, and announced that a mobilisation programme will be initiated in every Meetei-Pangal village.
He stated that every line of action will be taken up democratically and appealed to all the sections settling in the state to support the movement.
He further informed that the MPSTDC is always ready to go hand in hand with the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) if they intend to do so. “As a Meeite-Pangal who has bonds of brotherhood with the Meetei brethren, we will always follow the footsteps of the Meeteis,” he said.
“The Meetei-Pangal will always follow wherever the Meetei community moves. We will stick to the traditional inheritance of our fore-fathers and preserve their integrity,” he added.
