Bodies bare fangs over ST issue as Govt sits on fence
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: November 01, 2022 -

DAYS after the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) raised objections against the demand for granting recognition to Meetei/Meitei community, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) has responded to the resistance by asserting that its movement is genuinely centred on constitutional safeguard for the indigenous Meetei population and should not be construed as seeking anything from the apex tribal students' body.

Such a sharp reaction after protractedly ignoring consistent remonstrations by ATSUM or other organisations demonstrates that the STDCM is running out of patience and wouldn't remain silent if any organisation tries to throw a spanner and derail the movement, which has been intensified due to indecision on the part of the government.

After intermittent suspension of the agitation, either owing to invitation for talks by the government or during the peak of the coronavirus outbreak, STDCM resumed the movement in the form of symbolic storming of residences of the people's elected representatives with the sitting ministers as the primary targets.

Amid such renewed thrust to the movement, ATSUM recently raised posers over the demand consequently leading to the terse remark by STDCM convener Laishram Romesh, who advised ATSUM and PPCM, another organisation that raised voices against inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the ST list, to stop opposing the demand.

Such unambiguous statement rings out the message that the STDCM has firm resolve to take the movement to its logical conclusion and any organisation feeling uneasy over the issue may opt for the court of law or any legitimate platform instead of interring in the affairs of the Committee.

Interestingly, majority of the ministers, whose residences volunteers of STDCM and other like-minded organisations had literally stormed and submitted memorandums so far, have assured of tabling the matter before the chief minister and initiate discussion with their ministerial colleagues.

Such favourable response from the lawmakers must be one of the reasons why ATSUM felt it necessary to resist the demand for it is likely that in case the cabinet deliberates on merits and demerits of the demand then the final outcome might be to send the recommendation to the Union government for consideration of the case in hand.

With Dr Sapam Ranjan joining the list of growing number of ministers in the N Biren government to give assurance to the STDCM representation, it is but natural for the demand committee to believe that others in the council of ministers too would reciprocate positively as and when apprised about seriousness of the issue.

Notably, after receiving the memorandum, minister Dr Ranjan told STDCM volunteers that their movement is genuine and assured of intimating about it to his cabinet colleagues, legislatures and the chief minister apart from stating that STDCM's cause is legitimate as per Article 342 (i) of the Indian Constitution.

Moreover, with STDCM convener Romesh questioning the rationale for ATSUM's outright objections against inclusion of the Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribes list since 2013 in-spite of parleys held earlier to sort out differences, STDCM would be expecting that ATSUM either abstain from issuing statements that intent to dilute the pro-ST demand movement or approach the court to assert that there is substance in its objections.