World Meetei Convention justifies ST demand, ridicules ATSUM
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 01 2021:
World Meetei Convention (WMC) has extended support to STDCM's demand for inclusion Meetei in the list of Scheduled Tribes of Indian Constitution stating that Meetei are native indigenous people of Manipur.
In a statement, WMC reasoned that the Meeteis are demanding recognition as ST community to protect themselves from the unfair competition among the 1.35 billion Indians.
In this regard, Government of India has called for submitting necessary reports from the state government in 2013 .
However, till date, the state government has not taken any decision in this regard, for reasons best known to it.
WMC thinks that the recommendation of Lokur Committee in the matter would also be fulfilled if any genuine research is conducted.
However, WMC came across a letter from ATSUM to Manipur CM urging the latter not to send recommendation to the Centre, the statement said in reaction against the stand of ATSUM on the issue.
It regretted that as the Meeteis are fighting for their survival amid the 1.3 billion Indians, ATSUM is opposing the former's genuine concern to uphold socio-ethnic rights.
WMC also ridiculed the reasons cited by ATSUM to validate its objection to the ST demand such as '2000 years of civilisation, Golden Kingdom, no more primitive culture' .
The civilisation of 2000 years is a common heritage of the indigenous people of the state.
Mythology speaks of common ancestry except only after Meetei's conversion to Hinduism in the 18th Century, it pointed out.
Regarding ATSUM's view on Meetei advancing with time, WMC said that progression with time is a universal phenomenon.
However, Meetei piously live with their animism - a distinct trait of tribes - praying to their ancestral God Umang Lai of each of the 7 Salai/CIan with piety till today.
Every year Meetei including Hindu converts pray and connect to the living Gods - Umang Lai.
This may look primitive but Meetei are proud of their primitive culture.
And in fact Meetei are as good as its indigenous brothers such as Tangkhul, Mao, Maram and Zeliangrong groups among others.
In the past, the indigenous brothers used to help one another when one is in trouble, WMC recalled.
WMC said that it cannot understand the true intention of ATSUM to behave like an adversary entity.
WMC also appealed to indigenous communities like Tangkhul, Mao, Maram, Zeliangrong to speak out their opinion on the ST demand raised by Meetei.
The issue needs to be resolved today as it cannot be dragged on forever, WMC said while calling upon all right thinking leaden of all communities especially indigenous communities to extend their support to the cause.