STDCM continues protest, decries Govt apathy
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 06 2022:
In continuation of the series of agitation launched by Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) in pursuance of the demand for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei into the ST list of the country, women vendors of Kakwa Keithel in association with STDCM organised a sit-in protest at Kakwa Keithel on Tuesday.
Interacting with the media at the protest venue, STDCM vice-president Sapam Bheigya said that'it has been nearly a decade since the demand for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei into the ST list was brought up but the government has been remaining silent over the matter.
He said that Meeteis were identified as Scheduled Tribe in the Census of the British India conducted in 1931.However, in the 1951 census, the community was identified as Hindu (general) led by a misconception.
As a result of the past mistake, the community is losing its ground in its own motherland.
Meetei will become the only indigenous community in the northeast region, who could not enjoy entitlements enjoyed by other indigenous communities of the region.
Despite knowing the gravity of the situation and fate of the community, the state government is remaining silent on the matter, he said while cautioning of a possible public uprising if the government continues to ignore the matter.