Take up ST issue during session : MMTU
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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 4 : Concerned about the community's survival, the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU) has once again urged all the legislators to discuss the demand being raised to enlist Meetei/Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of the Constitution in the ensuing Assembly session and adopt a concrete resolution.
MMTU, in a statement signed by its organisation secretary T Parijat, also asked all concerned to make public the initiative being taken up by the Government during the Governor's address on the first day of the session, ie February 10.
Contending that granting ST status is the only means to secure the future of the ethnic group and bring about socio-economic equality among the indigenous people, the Union appealed to all the MLAs and political parties who endorse the ST status demand by Meetei/Meitei to raise the issue or move a private member resolution in the Assembly session and take a concrete resolution.
Majority of the communities in North East India have already been recognised as ST while many others are on the verge of getting the same status, MMTU said and added that the call to give ST status to Meetei/Meitei, unfortunately, lacks attention from MLAs and political parties.
Why is the Manipur Government still not submitting the recommendation although the Centre has made it clear that a recommendation from a State Government is required to consider granting ST status to any community, it asked.
Meetei/Meitei has been seeking ST status for over five decades but the State Cabinet hasn't taken any resolution in support of the demand, the Union said and added that the only time a State Cabinet adopted a resolution on the issue was when Rishang Keishang was the Chief Minister in 1981.
Saying that there should not be any argument on Meetei/Meitei seeking Constitutional safeguard in the form of ST, the Union claimed that the recommendation to add Meetei/Meitei in the ST list based on 1951 Census was cancelled by one T Kipgen who served as a Home Secretary.
Meetei/Meitei people have become more like a minority in their own land without any Constitutional safeguard, MMTU said.
Continuing that immigrants from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal have been posing a significant threat to the indigenous people of Manipur, the Union maintained that not giving ST status to Meetei/Meitei by considering only the historical account of the ethnic group would be wrong.
Enlisting Kuki-Zo people from Myanmar in voter list and giving them tribal benefits, influx of illegal immigrants and emergence of over 2700 unauthorised Kuki Zo villages are concerning, the Union said while urging all the legislators to discuss the chronic issues besieging the State in the Assembly session.
IMPHAL, Feb 4 : Concerned about the community's survival, the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU) has once again urged all the legislators to discuss the demand being raised to enlist Meetei/Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of the Constitution in the ensuing Assembly session and adopt a concrete resolution.
MMTU, in a statement signed by its organisation secretary T Parijat, also asked all concerned to make public the initiative being taken up by the Government during the Governor's address on the first day of the session, ie February 10.
Contending that granting ST status is the only means to secure the future of the ethnic group and bring about socio-economic equality among the indigenous people, the Union appealed to all the MLAs and political parties who endorse the ST status demand by Meetei/Meitei to raise the issue or move a private member resolution in the Assembly session and take a concrete resolution.
Majority of the communities in North East India have already been recognised as ST while many others are on the verge of getting the same status, MMTU said and added that the call to give ST status to Meetei/Meitei, unfortunately, lacks attention from MLAs and political parties.
Why is the Manipur Government still not submitting the recommendation although the Centre has made it clear that a recommendation from a State Government is required to consider granting ST status to any community, it asked.
Meetei/Meitei has been seeking ST status for over five decades but the State Cabinet hasn't taken any resolution in support of the demand, the Union said and added that the only time a State Cabinet adopted a resolution on the issue was when Rishang Keishang was the Chief Minister in 1981.
Saying that there should not be any argument on Meetei/Meitei seeking Constitutional safeguard in the form of ST, the Union claimed that the recommendation to add Meetei/Meitei in the ST list based on 1951 Census was cancelled by one T Kipgen who served as a Home Secretary.
Meetei/Meitei people have become more like a minority in their own land without any Constitutional safeguard, MMTU said.
Continuing that immigrants from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal have been posing a significant threat to the indigenous people of Manipur, the Union maintained that not giving ST status to Meetei/Meitei by considering only the historical account of the ethnic group would be wrong.
Enlisting Kuki-Zo people from Myanmar in voter list and giving them tribal benefits, influx of illegal immigrants and emergence of over 2700 unauthorised Kuki Zo villages are concerning, the Union said while urging all the legislators to discuss the chronic issues besieging the State in the Assembly session.