Body dismisses ST demand-riot connection
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 19 2023:
Industrious Students' Association cum Library Home, Kongpal has dismissed as unfounded, illogical and malicious attempt to relate the prevailing volatile situa-tion to demand for inclusion of Meeteis in the ST list.
In a release, the Associa-tion claimed that it has now come to the fore that some main reasons for the present restive situation are due to recent withdrawal by gov-ernment of Manipur from Suspension of Operation (SoO) with Kuki militants, mass destruction of poppy plantation in Kuki dominated areas including reserved/ protected forest under the 'War on Drugs 2.0' to curb the narco-terrorism/drug mafia-militant nexus and Kuki illegal immigrants.
Eviction of all houses/ structures illegally built in reserved and protected forest areas, state government's decision on implementa-tion of National Register of Citizens, recent comment of Union minister of envi-ronment, forest & climate change Bhupender Yadav that the 'state government is fully responsible to protect the reserved and protected forest areas of Manipur' was akin to rubbing salt to the wounds of anti-social elements within the Kuki tribe, controver-sy over gates constructed/ erected to commemorate the 'Anglo-Kuki War Memorial 1917-1919, move to install face-recognition equipment for detection of anomalies with regard to preparation of fake Aadhaar cards and government's initiative on border fencing, are some other factors, it alleged.
The Association further maintained that if the rea-son for organising the Tribal Solidarity Rally called by All Tribal Students' Union, Ma-nipur (ATSUM) was unequiv-ocally against the inclusion of Meetei in the ST list, then the right step forward should be 'approach to a competent court as deemed fit, as the issue is currently in the law court.