Unilateral judgment, claims JCCOTR-M
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Imphal, April 28 2023:
The Joint Coordination Committee on Tribal Rights, Manipur (JCCOTR-M) has said that the directive given by the High Court of Manipur to forward the recommendations and study the eligibility of Meetei/Meitei for enlistment in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list was a unilateral judgment.
In a statement issued today, JCCOTR-M claimed that the High Court didn't seek the opinions and views of the opposing parties while making the judgment.
It added that the judgment passed by the Court "was ex-parte and highly objectionable" .
Claiming that the Meitei/Meetei society and its culture is a 3000 years old civilization that evolved and took form in the Imphal valley, the Committee added that the Meitei/Meetei culture is highly developed and is of fine intricacy.
The Meitei/Meetei classical dances are universally acclaimed, it said and continued that their (Meetei/Meitei) scripts and language are also recognised and well protected under the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Economically and politically, they (the Meetei/Meitei) dominate the State of Manipur, the JCCOTR-M added.
The tribal committee then said that the demand for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei community in the ST list on the ground for protection and safeguard of the Meitei/Meetei community from being marginalised or extinction has no logic at all.
The JCCOTR-M pointed out that the "majority community" of the State who are already identified as "SC, OBC and General" are also well protected by the Constitutional provisions such as ILP, the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution and political dominance in the State Legislative Assembly.