As a ‘special mention’ at the ongoing Parliament session, the matter concerning the demand to include Meitei/Meeitei community in the scheduled tribe list under Article 342 (1) of the Indian Constitution was placed on the floor by Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba on Tuesday.
Leishemba placed the issue during the evening session of Parliament.
The Rajya Sabha MP informed the House that since 2013, a series of demands to include Meitei/Meeitei under the scheduled tribe list had been made by forming different local bodies in Manipur.
In connection with the demand, several memorandum had been submitted to the then Prime Minister, home minister, including the present prime minister, Union home minister, including Union minister of tribal affairs and others leaders, he said.
However, no necessary action had been taken from the concerned regarding the long-term demand for the people of Manipur, he pointed out. He said that the Meitei/ Meeitei will become a minority community if the Central government and the authority concerned fail to fulfil the demand at the earliest.
“The people of Manipur have been living with pride for the last 5,000 years; however, at the present scenario, there is a possibility of them facing a refugee-like situation in their own land,” he said. Leishemba appealed to the House to instruct the state government to take necessary actions in order to save the indigenous people of Manipur at the earliest.
The same issue was raised during the recent monsoon Parliamentary session, 2021; however, he failed to raise the issue as the Parliamentary session was shortened, he added.
MP Rajya Sabha, Leishemba Sanajaoba had earlier raised matters concerning the demand to include the Manipuri language (Meiteilon) to classical language status; to include meitei mayek in Indian currency note; upgrading of Kangla into world heritage site. The Central government also gave a positive response regarding some of the matters that Leishemba had raised.
