NCST team arrives, MSCST members apologises
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 20 2022:
A 7-member team of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), New Delhi arrived here on Tuesday and started discussion with tribal leaders of the state on tribal issues and problems.
The NCST team, which is being led by member Anajita Nayak will be in Imphal till December 22 and they have started meeting tribal leaders from Tuesday evening at Classic Grande Hotel, Chingmeirong.
Meanwhile, Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, Manipur (STDCM) said in a statement that the committee submitted an application to Manipur State Commission for the Scheduled Tribes (MSCST) member (administration) for allowing members of the committee to meet and interact with the visiting NCST team.
It said that STDCM deserves to be invited for the programme so as to ensure that the issue of ST status of Meetei/Meitei could be deliberated satisfactorily.
The official invitation served by MSCST member (administration) Dr Tara-Machin Hangzo to tribal leaders of the state to attend meet and interact with NCST team was extremely partisan by asking all other tribes to fight against the 'dominant tribe', the STDCM statement said and termed mentioning of 'dominant tribe' i.e., the Meetei/Meitei in the invitation as very unfortunate.
Nevertheless, STDCM urged the MSCST member to allow its members to take part in the programme and hold further discussions with the visiting NCST team.
MSCST member Dr Tara-Machin Hangzo had served an invitation to all tribal leaders of Manipur to attend an interaction with the NCST team on December 20 in Imphal.
The invitation mentioned that a 7-member team of NCST will be in Imphal from December 20 to 22 and they will hold interaction with all tribal leaders of the state.
However, Dr Tara-Machin Hangzo issued a statement on Tuesday cancelling and withdrawing the invitation she served to tribal leaders.
Regarding the mention of the word 'In view of the ST demand by the dominant tribe getting momentum in the state' in the invitation which hurts sentiment of other communities, Dr Tara-Machin Hangzo tendered an apology and clarified that the letter was issued solely by her without the knowledge of MSCST chairperson and the visiting NCST team.
Regretting the statement, the MSCST member tendered her sincere apologies to peace loving people of the state and assured that she will not make such irresponsible statements in future.
According to Dr Tara-Machin Hangzo, MSCST shall have no jurisdiction on any matter dealt with by NCST established under Article 338A of the Constitution of India and this is clearly mentioned in the Manipur State Commission for the Scheduled Tribes Act, 2014 (Manipur Act No 5 of 2014) Chapter-III, sec-8, (f) .