Deman raised tor separate political autonomy'
Source: Chronicle News Service
Ukhrul, May 03 2023:
A collective show of solidarity was displayed in Ukhrul town as part of the Tribal Solidarity March on Wednesday.
Over a thousand people including students marched through the town to endorse the collective demand for a separate political autonomy for the tribal in the face of what they called 'continued subjugation and dominion' by the state government dominated by the majority valley community.
What stirred the Tribal Solidarity March is the growing demand of the Meiteis/ Meeteis for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list, which the tribal communities see as a 'direct threat to their lands and constitutional rights' .
The rallyists carrying placards, and banners came out marching on the streets of Ukhrul town on Wednesday, starting from Ava Market and culminating at Mini Secretariat, where a memorandum addressed to the President of India was submitted through the DC of Ukhrul district.
The memo signed by Tangkhul Students' Organisations, including TKS, ZTKL, ZKL, RKL, TAKL and SANSA cited a separate political system for the tribal with full autonomy as the only way out to protect the marginalised tribal communities of the state.
Speaking on the occasion, social activist Ngachonmi Chamroy noted that it was significant that ATSUM has come Up with the concept of a separate political arrangement with full autonomy for the tribal in the event of the state government continuing to ignore the sentiments and aspirations of the tribal.
"The need for this political autonomy has been duly incorporated in Wednesday's memorandum to the President of India, " he said, expressing the collective endorsement of Tangkhuls towards the demand.
In his speech, TKS vice president Ramreichan Keishing said that the solidarity march was organised to create mass awareness about the threat posed to the rights and lands of the marginalised tribal by the ongoing demand of the Meiteis/Meeteis for ST status.
He said that the Meiteis/Meeteis are a highly advanced society and that their status cannot be compared to that of the tribal in all spheres of life.
"We are standing up to protect our own rights and not to wage war against the valley community, " he added.
Giving a clarion call, he said that it was high time that everyone stood up and fend for their rights.
Ramnganing went on to urge all the tribal peoples' representatives and MPs to take note of the people's voice of concern and act accordingly, and assured that the CSOs and public would always stand by them in their endeavours.
Meanwhile, the memo mentioned that the hills, constituting more than 90 per cent of the total geographical areas and about 41 per cent of the total population, have been subjugated, marginalised and deprived by the state government dominated by the majority valley community for decades.
It also said that the tribal of Manipur have been under extreme form of subjugation and domination in their own land, while adding that granting ST Status to the Meitei/Meetei community, who have already enjoyed all the benefits of modern amenities, would further annihilate the minority tribal communities, who will ultimately be rendered landless in their own homeland since the Meitei/Meetei community will be free to snatch their lands and grabbed 31 per cent reservation allocated for the tribal.