ST not for migrants : KKL
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 06 2023:
The Scheduled Tribe categorisation is given to only Adivasis and indigenous people.
Immigrants can't be recognised as ST, said Kangleipak Kanba Lup, Manipur.
In a statement, it said Aryan Hindus are not members of the ST communities in India as they are migrants.
There are clear differences between the terms citizenship and indigenous.
Manipur has its indigenous people comprising of 7 Salai (clans) which include Kom, Koireng, Koirou, Kharam, Khoibu, Langte, Moyon, Monshang, Anal, Phunal, Maring, Chiru, Chothe, Tarao, Purum, Mao, Maram, Poumai, Thangal, Kapui, Tangkhul, Meetei and Khemte etc.
All the others are immigrants and not indigenous.
They can be citizens of India, but in Manipur's context they aren't indigenous people, said KKL.
The Pangals are also immigrants and are not indigenous people of Manipur.
While some Pangals began settling here and were given Meitei/Meetei women in marriage during the time of King Bheigyachandra after 1757, majority of them came here before and after world war, KKL said.
"Even though they married Meitei/Meetei women, their children can't be called descendants of the Meitei/Meetei.
For family lineage, conventionally paternal lineage is used.
So, their children are not Meitei/Meetei but Pangal," KKL said.
While the term "Pangal" came to use as people couldn't properly pronounce the word "Bangal", the use of the prefix "Meitei" before "Pangal" is without merit.
The use of the prefix Meitei is recent and it should not be used, said KKL asserting that no customary law and no authority of the Meitei/Metei clan had given the authority to use the nomenclature of the indigenous clan.
There is only one Meitei/Meetei and is an indigenous clan.
Its name should not be borrowed and used, added KKL.