Manipur State Commission for Schedule Tribe (MSCST) released its annual report of 2021-2022 at ADC Bhavan, located at Chingmeirong, Imphal on Tuesday as a part of the ‘Seva Pakhwada’ observation.
Hill Area Committee chairman Dinganglung Gangmei (Dipu Gangmei) who is also MLA of Nungba (ST); MSCST chairperson Thuigai Mathieu Rongmei and MLA Janghemlung Panmei attended the function as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
Speaking on the occasion, Dipu Gangmei said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the political scenario of the country has changed and various development activities are being witnessed across the country, including Manipur.
He said that the MSCST, which has been lying defunct for years, has started functioning with the coming of the Modi government. In the past, most of the people of hills were not even aware of the existence of the commission; however, it has now started doing continuous activities and has been taking up necessary roles in the hilly areas of the state, Dipu added.
The people are proud of the Indian Constitution for giving the Schedule Tribe category as an identity, he said. Some of the communities inhabited at the hilly regions are yet to be included in the ST category, he said. “Chakhesang tribe of Jessami has been recognised as Angami but Angami is not a tribe,” he added.
The characteristics of Angami and Chakeshang are different, and the MSCST needs to take up initiatives for reporting such anomalies to the authority concerned for making the required corrections, he mentioned. It is the right of each community to enjoy their rights whether the community is small or big, said Dipu.
He further said that the Chakeshang people also deserve to get recognition in order to get their identity. He further appealed to the commission to take up necessary measures in this regard.
A voluntary blood donation camp was also organised in the same campus. ‘Seva Pakhwada’ observation is being held in connection with the birth anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which is to be celebrated from September 17 to October 2.
