The Women Association for Socio-Economic Development (WASEDEV) has extended its support to the 18-hour general strike called by the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) from Thursday midnight.
In a release, WASEDEV stated that Manipur having 2,000 year-old history has strong bonding between various ethnic communities. However, following the merger of the state with the Indian union in 1947, the state has been divided into categories and areas such as tribal and non-tribal inhabitant areas.
It stated that the tribal areas are mostly confined in hill areas and constitute 92 per cent of total land areas of the state. Whereas, the remaining eight per cent is recognised as valley areas and designated as non-tribal areas, it added.
It stated that the Government of India has given constitutional safeguard in the hills and the scheduled lands by not allowing any other outsiders to buy land or settlement permanently. On the contrary, valley areas which cover only eight per cent of total areas do not get any such provisions.
This has created a serious threat to the endangered ethnic community of Meiteis as infiltration of migrants keeps on continuing in the valley, it mentioned.
Issues will be triggered once railway services are launched in the state. It appealed to the authority concerned to provide constitutional safeguards to the Meitei community by categorising the valley as a scheduled land under Article 382 (2) of the Indian constitution. The steps would help in strengthening the age-old relationship of hill and valley, it mentioned.
Considering that the Meitei community requires constitutional safeguard, WASEDEV will extend support and solidarity to the 18-hour general strike called by STDCM from midnight of December 27, it further stated.
STDCM had resolved to impose the general strike if the state government failed to submit necessary recommendations to authority concerned to enlist the Meeitei or Meitei community in the scheduled tribe list by 3 pm of December 22.
