Meetei/Meitei Tribe Union categorically stated on Friday that the Meetei/Meitei demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list under the Indian Constitution will not infringe upon the rights of tribal communities included in the ST list in Manipur.
The Union emphasised that the demand is only meant for constitutional safeguard of the Meitei/Meetei community against demographic threats.
Speaking to the media at Manipur Press Club, secretary of Majorkhul Meetei/Meitei Tribe Union Mutum Churamani sought the support of all communities in Manipur to materialise the demand and maintained that the demand was raised with genuine concern and not against any community specifically.
Chiral Amu highlighted that Meitei/Meetei had no constitutional safeguard to protect itself from foreign demographic influx. Therefore, the agitations for the demand began in 2013, he added.
He expressed gratitude to the High Court of Manipur for finally picking up the writ petition filed by the union.
“The High Court's order on April 19 to the Manipur government to send the requisite recommendations for the demand within 4 weeks is a positive step for the demand,” he said.
He informed that the writ petition was filed on March 7,2023 and the hearing for the case was conducted on March 27, 2023.
The case was disposed of and the order was reserved since there was no objection from the state respondent, he added.
Churamani further urged authorities concerned to send the latest ethnographic and socioeconomic report when filing the recommendation to the high court.
He further appealed to the people to refrain from making comments which could misconstrue and misinform the people about the ST inclusion demand. He further appealed to all CSOs in Manipur to suggest measures and guidelines which would aid in framing of the recommendation swiftly.
