All India ST demand movement to be launched
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 24 2016: The All India Meitei Scheduled Tribe Movement is set to launch its campaign demanding restoration ofST status ofMeiteis at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi at 2 pm on February 28 .

In a statement, movement convenor B Angousana Sharma urged the individuals, organisations, associations, unions and political parties to extend support and help to the demand.

He said that it is an indefinite public movement that would continue till the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe category of the Indian Constitution.

He said that Meitei was listed as a tribe in the Census reports of the British India Government in 1891, 1901 and 1931 .

Saying that the Census of 1941 was not conducted due to World War-II, Angousana said that had it been conducted, Meitei should also have been included continuously as a tribe in the Census by the British India Government.

However, Meiteis were removed from the ST category in 1951, he said.

The proposed movement would send a strong message to Chief Minister Okram Ibobi who has been maintaining stoic silence on the issue.

Instead of approving the demand through the State Cabinet, the Chief Minister has deliberately taken the issue to State Assembly to delay and divert the genuine cause of Meiteis.

B Angousana said that it is the State Cabinet which is to recommend enlisting of Meitei as ST.

Saying that the Cabinet approval must be forwarded to the President through Governor, he said that the State Assembly has no mandatory constitutional role in this regard.

Angousana said that former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had assured to a delegation led by MP Dr T Meinya to include Meitei in the ST category in 2013 .

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had also given his assurance to support to the demand when he was the president of BJP.

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