'Demand for ST tag on Meiteis/Meeteis appropriate'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 14 2018: Terming Meitei/Meetei as a community which has been reeling under multitudinous deprivation since after Manipur merged with India, former Dean of Central Agricultural University (CAU), Imphal, Naorem Iboton opined that the demand for enlisting Meiteis/Meeteis in the ST list is appropriate and must for its honorable survival.

He was giving his opinion as an expert on the 9th episode of the ongoing Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee (STDCM)'s opinion seeking campaign for inclusion of the community in the ST list.

Talking to newspersons at his Iroisemba Maning Leikai residence today, Iboton noted that the topography of Manipur deserves to be called hill region as the valley of the land lies above 2000 feet above sea level therefore all the people of the State should be called hill people (Chingmi).

9th episode of the ongoing Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee (STDCM)'s opinion seeking campaign for inclusion of the community in the ST list

He said that the census report of 1981 claimed people of Manipur as "forest tribe" implying that Meiteis/Meeteis were initially recognized as forest tribe or tribe.

Hence, ST status should have been given to Meiteis/Meeteis and protection under the Constitutional provisions must have been granted to the community by enlisting in the ST list long time back.

Asking how and why the Meitei/Meetei community was put under general category, he said that the people of the community have been proven as indigenous/native by the history and mythology of the land.

"We (Meiteis/Meeteis) are the native people who have been dwelling in the State since the time of evolutionary stage where Gods and Goddesses live together with the people," he said.

He maintained that from linguistic perspective, Meiteis/Meeteis have their own distinctive language (Meiteilon) and script (Meitei Meiyek) unlike any other communities which have many similarities among each others in terms of language and script.

The former Dean observed that protection of land belonging to Meiteis/Meeteis under the constitutional provisions is must for Meiteis/Meeteis as the community faces a myriad of threats.

He pointed out that people living in the hills, who have recognised as tribes and enlisted in the ST list protect their land under certain Constitutional provisions.

If Meiteis/Meeteis are included in the ST list then they can also prevent all the potential threats they have been encountering so far and boost their economy significantly, he said.

He went on to observe that inclusion of Meiteis/Meeteis in the ST list will also bring unity among the people of the hills and valley which in turn will ensure peace and development besides resolving core issues including deprivation of democratic rights.

As such, the State Government must proactively work to enlist Meiteis/Meeteis in the ST list, he said, suggesting STDCM to provide all relevant documents for the initiative to the Government.

He also appealed to all Meiteis/Meeteis to protect and preserve their real identity for a respectful living.

Several office bearers of STDCM including its Coordinating Committee's convenor Mutum Churamani and publicity chairman Thokchom Gopimohon were also present at the opinion seeking episode.