AITSA opposes ST demand
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 18 2013: Close on the heels of the UNC and ATSUM registering opposition to the ST status demand by the Meitei community, the All India Tribal Students' Association, Manipur has raised objection to the demand for granting ST status by the ST Demand Committee, Manipur.

AITSA, Manipur has submitted a memorandum to the Governor of the State raising objection to the 'illogical and unconstitutional demand' for the inclusion of the Meitei/Meetei community in the ST category.

Meanwhile, AITSA, Delhi in a statement issued by its President, K Zou has demanded the Chief Minister of the State to tender apology to the Mongoloid SC community for not recognising SC villages and settlement in the revenue land record of the State Govt even more than six decades of their entry in the lists of SC.

"The Association is shaken and anguish by the reply from none other than the CM, O Ibobi , who said that there is no recognised Scheduled Caste village in Manipur as per the State's land revenue records while responding to a query raised by Thounaojam Shyamkumar, MLA from Andro, in the recently concluded Assembly Session as reported in the local news papers on June 22," the AITSA statement said.

It is also shocking that when the Govt of Manipur submitted a report on the existence of eight SC villages, to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on June 18, 1965, and also Khwairakpam Devendro, MLA cited that SC villages were mentioned in the Manipur Gazette published in 1994, how can the SC villages in Manipur be treated as unauthorised or illegal settlement, it asked while demanding immediate inclusion of the SC villages in the land revenue record.

The Association also urged the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) to publicly express their genuine regrets for the discrimination meted to Meitei speaking SC communities for decades, if they are concerned about restoring peaceful cohesion in the state.

"A section of the indigenous people settling in Sekmai, Phayeng, Khurkhul, Koutruk, Laimaram Kwatha, Laimaram Khunou, Andro and Chairel villages were declared as scheduled caste and listed them in the Constitution of India as Muchi, Ravidas, Namasudra, Patni, Sutradhar and Yaithibi.

They have been inhumanly neglected by the subsequent governments and even by the civil society organizations.

As both the Meitei and Tribals did not fully consider them as their fellow community, they live in the "no man's zone" of the mindset of people of Manipur," it asserted.

The Govt of Manipur must hang their heads in shame, for attempting to do away the rightful settlement of the SC community, in similar manner in which Kabo Leikai-Naga River lane was demolished recently, it added.

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