The World Meitei Council (WMC) drew the attention of the Manipur government to clarify its stance on the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Schedule Tribe list during the August session which will be concluded on Monday.
Over the past eight years, several appeals have been made to Chief Minister N Biren Singh to forward the relevant report to the central government for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST list, stated a release.
However, the chief minister has reportedly ignored these appeals, citing concerns that such an action might provoke the Naga community, it mentioned.
Despite a ruling by a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice, there has been no significant opposition or backlash, it added.
The statement also referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks in the Rajya Sabha, noting that the ongoing conflict could persist for years, similar to the seven-year Naga-Kuki conflict of 1993.
WMC urged the authorities not to conflate the current conflict with the demands for ST status.
Failure to include Meitei in the ST list before the delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary seats in 2026 could jeopardize the Meitei identity, it added.
WMC further urged the state government to expedite the submission of relevant documents to the central government for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST list by 2025.
