Give us an audience too : STDCM to NCST
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 19 2022:
Citing a news report published in some sections of media which said that a seven-member team of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) would be visiting Imphal from December 20 to 22 to meet and interact with leaders of all the tribes of Manipur, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) has appealed to the Manipur State Commission for Scheduled Tribes to give them an opportunity of meeting the visiting NCST team.
In a letter addressed to Dr Tara Manchin Hangzo, Member (Admin), Manipur State Commission for Scheduled Tribes, the STDCM said that all tribal leaders have been invited to a meeting with the NCST team at Hotel Classic Grande here at 5.30 pm on December 20 .
As mentioned in the news report, one main agenda of the scheduled meeting is the demand of the 'dominant tribe' for ST status, it said.
"We presume that the expression 'dominant tribe' has been coined to mean the Meitei/Meetei of Manipur.
As such, the STDCM deserves to be invited to the scheduled programme so as to ensure that the issue centred around 'Meitei/Meetei tribe' is deliberated most satisfactorily", said the letter.
Saying that they have not received any invitation in this regard from the office of the Manipur State Commission for Scheduled Tribes (MSCST), the STDCM, citing the particular news report, accused the office of MSCST of adopting an extremely partisan stand by asking all other tribes to fight against the 'dominant tribe' i.e Meitei/Meetei.
The STDCM then appealed to the Member (Admin), MSCST to allow them meet and hold discussions with the visiting NCST team when they are at Imphal.