STDCM sets sight on bandh to draw Govt attention
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: September 15, 2022 -
AS has been the hallmark of the incumbent government, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) may be somehow convinced to drop its threat of imposing bandh and blockade in pursuance of the demand for inclusion of the Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Indian Constitution.
However, it is getting crystal clear that the Committee is running out of patience as the government remains non-committal on recommending to the Union government for granting ST status to the Meetei community.
At every sit-in protest which the STDCM has been organising in collaboration with the local organisations, its functionaries have been accusing the government authorities of undermining the need for constitutional safeguard of all the indigenous communities, including the Meetei.
From staging peaceful demonstrations in different parts of the state for the past many days with the hope of drawing the attention of the government of Manipur, there is strong possibility that the STDCM might opt for resorting to intense agitations to demonstrate that it will no longer tolerate the government's apparent lack of enthusiasm.
As stated by STDCM Youth Wing convenor Nameirakpam Edison during one of its series of sit-in demonstrations held on Tuesday at Kwakeithel the Committee can no longer remain calm when the government is maintaining stoic silence over the demand for inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the ST list.
By setting mid-October as the deadline for the government to do the needful for prevailing upon the central leaders, the Committee is ringing out the message that imposing bandh or blockade is imminent.
With reports surfacing about some outsiders, who had entered the state with ILP permits, found possessing job cards and Scheduled Tribe (ST) cards in parts of Chandel district, it seems that STDCM's demand merits consideration for it is merely seeking constitutional protection of the indigenous community's socio-economic and political interests and rights in view of the increasing number of non-locals entering and stealthily settling in different corners of the state with the help of unscrupulous elements.
Without an iota of doubt, the demands for granting ST status to the Meetei community and effective enforcement of the inner line permit system are correlated as both seek constitutional safeguard of the state's majority community.
Though the demand for reintroduction of the ILP system has been approved by the Union government, there is still the apprehension that the legislation, aimed at monitoring and regulating entry of non-locals into the state, has been serving no real purpose other than the government generating revenue through collection of nominal entry fee.
As such, it is but natural that the STDC has re-launched its agitation to remind the government authorities that the sense of insecurity among the Meetei/Meitei community cannot be overlooked.
Though the on-going agitations haven't caused any serious disturbance to normal life, the Committee's functionaries have been consistently demonstrating that they are not amused with the inability of the present regime to translate into action the earlier assurance given for forwarding the required recommendation to the Centre for inclusion of the Meeteis in the ST list of the Constitution of India.
* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.