In the matter of demand for ST status for the Meiteis, the directive of the Manipur High Court single bench was for submission of a recommendation in reply to letters sent by the Ministry and not necessarily of recommending the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei, Advocate Ajoy Pebam, who represented the Meitei Tribe Union, said.
Speaking to the media on Thursday at the Manipur Press Club in Imphal in the presence of office bearers of the Meitei Tribe Union, Pebam explained the HC order in the light of Supreme Court verdict of May 17.
He said the Meitei (Meetei) Tribe Union filed a writ petition in a single bench of the Manipur High Court with a prayer for directing the state government to reply to the letters sent by the Ministry regarding inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in ST list.
“A letter of recommendation from the state government is a part of a process for inclusion in ST list and it is up to the government to recommend or not. And the final decision is to be taken by Parliament,” he explained.
He said, as the state government sat on the letters sent by the ministry without giving any reply, a writ petition was filed for expediting the process.
Highlighting the SC order, Pebam said that the writ appeal MC (WA) has been filed by the Manipur Tribal Union and others against the judgment of the HC.
The writ appeal was entertained by a division bench of the HC on May 15. While issuing notice, the writ appeal has been directed to be listed on June 6.
Meanwhile, an application was moved by the state before the single judge who passed March 27 judgment for extension of time on which the single judge has directed that time for considering direction and extended for a period of one year.
