STDCM coerced to suspend convention on ST demand

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 6: The public convention scheduled at 11 am on Sunday at Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen, Palace Compound on the popular demand of enlisting Meitei/Meetei in the ST category has been cancelled after it was forbidden by two armed groups.
The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) was organising a public convention on the topic “Manipur Government’s inaction on the demand for inclusion of indigenous Meitei/Meetei in the ST list of India”.
However, some unknown individuals who claimed to be leaders of two armed groups told STDCM over telephone that the scheduled convention should not be held under any circumstances. Subsequently, sche- duled public convention was deferred until a new date is fixed. A large number of people from different parts of Manipur came to Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen to attend the public convention this morning.
On the other hand, STDCM leaders and office bearers held an emergency meeting at 8 am today on the prohibition imposed by the armed groups. As a result, the public convention could not commence at 11 am.
At around 12 noon, after all the leaders and office bearers were seated on the dais, Coordinating Body of STDCM convenor Waikhom Ananda announced that the public convention would not be held on account of prohibition imposed by two armed groups.
He said that the STDCM has been exerting pressure on the relevant authorities since 2012 to get Meitei/Meetei enlisted in the Scheduled Tribe list of India under Article 342(1) of the Indian Constitution. STDCM’s  former chief patron- late Mohindro gave a ray of hope for the numerically small Meitei community to protect themselves in 2012.
Then the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) was established under the leadership of Moirangthem Naodalenkhomba to realise the same ray of hope.
STDCM sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in 2012 itself seeking enlistment of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category, Ananda said. Thereafter the Centre had written to the State Government to send the requisite socio-economic report of the Meiteis for consideration to be included in the ST list.
Since 2013, STDCM has been urging the State Government to send the recommendation to the Government of India for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST list, Ananda said.
For the scheduled public convention, chairs were laid inside the hall of Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen last night. The hall was even sterilised by fogging this morning considering the rising cases of Dengue in the State, he said.
Some unknown people came to the Khurai Salan-thong Lairikyengbam Leikai residence of STDCM general secretary Bhogendrajit at around 12.30 am last night.
Calling “Tamo, Tamo”, the unknown persons banged the gate. As no one responded to their calls, they pelted stones at the gate.
As the shradha ceremony of Bhogendrajit’s elder brother falls on October 8, the family members had not yet retired when their gate was hit with stones and they heard the unknown persons shouting “will not allow mobilizing people for agitation (Erang sagatpa yaroi)”.
At around 8 am today, some people who identified themselves as leaders of UPPK and KCP (Taibang-nganba Khuman) rang up Bhogendrajit and asked the general secretary to cancel the scheduled public convention at any cost, Ananda said.  
Taking serious note of last night’s threat and this morning’s phone calls, STDCM leaders and office bearers held an emergency meeting at 9 am today.
After minute deliberation, the emergency meeting decided to postpone the scheduled convention for some time, Waikhom Ananda said.
“We must face obstacles on the path of struggling for something righteous and good for the society/community”, he said.
He then appealed to all the people who came to attend the public convention to always support the movement for safeguarding the future of the Meitei/Meetei community.
“As those people who forbade the public convention are unseen and unknown to us, STDCM does not have the strength to challenge them”, he said.
The STDCM executive committee adopted two resolutions in its emergency meeting held today, the first one being postponement of the public convention until a new date is fixed, Ananda said.
The second resolution called upon all the supporters of the demand for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST list not to be dismayed but to struggle collectively even if it takes time until the collective objective is achieved.
Ananda also apologised to all the people who came to attend the convention for the inconveniences caused to them due to cancellation of the same convention.
Later, all the people who came to attend the public convention stood up and shouted in unison, “Government of Manipur must send a recommendation for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST list”.