Insensitive directive : KIM
Source: The Sangai Express
Kangpokpi, April 26 2023:
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) has claimed that the the directive given by the High Court of Manipur to the State Government on sending recommendation for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of India was insensitive to the interests of the tribal communities of Manipur and India as a whole.
The reaction came a day after Manipur's Naga apex body, the United Naga Council (UNC) expressed its unhappiness against the directive of the Court.
According to KIM's information and publicity secretary, Janghaolun Haokip, the Meetei/Meitei community, besides being the largest group in Manipur (with about 60 pc of the total population, having 40 members out of 60 in Manipur Legislative Assembly), is an advanced community well ahead of many other communities in India let alone in Manipur and for this reason, they have not been recognized as a Scheduled Tribe by the successive Governments.
He stated that the ST communities of Manipur have consistently opposed the demand for inclusion of the Meitei/Meetei in the ST list fearing the loss of job opportunities and other affirmative actions granted to ST by the Constitution to the 'much-advanced community' like Meetei.
He then stated that the directive of the High Court was insensitive to the interests of the backward and 'marginalized' tribal communities of Manipur and India.