AITSA states stand on demand for ST status for Meiteis
Source: The Sangai Express
New Delhi, July 13, 2013:
With the demand for ST status for the Meiteis gaining momentum, a release by All India Tribal Students Association, (AITSA) Delhi expressed its doubt over the intention of the Schedule Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) and called for a 're think" over the de-recognition from a general category to a recognition as scheduled tribe by the Govt of India.
It asserted that such move, if only for the purpose of getting the benefits of reservation in employment, such as UPSC, and begging for "loli pops" as a scheduled tribe community, it then does not serve the interest of the larger tribal community.
The reservation policy is more of a positive discrimination than a mere protection, the release said.
Terming it would be an emotional 'home coming' if the move is a genuine effort, it stated that AITSA is happy to welcome the general Meiteis to return back to its original Mongoloid tribal family, after more than 60 years of being misled and wandering as a higher caste/general category.
The release issued by the general AITSU secretary Raju Deori further said that if the cohesive existence of the people of Manipur, who were divided into Tribal, scheduled caste and general, after the merger of Manipur to the Indian Union in 1950 can be restored by recognizing the General Meiteis as scheduled tribe, there is nothing better.
AITSA feels that the bold step taken by the STDCM, can turn Manipur into a tribal state like Nagaland, Mizoram and that Meitei Scheduled caste communities from Sekmai, Andhro, Khurkhur, Kotha, Phayeng, Chairel, etc, should also be included in the list of scheduled tribes so that an ideal Manipur will emerge, wherein, the State's resources including employment can be equally divided within the various tribes and no particular tribe can take the lion's share of the benefits.