ZCA submits memorandum to PM
Source: The Sangai Express
CCpur, May 03 2023:
The Zomi Chiefs' Association has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi detailing a point-by-point justification of why the Meitei community should not be granted ST status while also highlighting that there is no such thing as 'Protected Forest' as claimed by the Government in the hill areas.
In their statement, the ZCA claimed that the demand for ST Status by the Meitei/Meetei is a policy to exploit constitutional measures to grasp and dispossess the tribal people in the hills from their lands.
It pointed out that the Meetei community are availing reservation earmarked for the Scheduled Castes (SC), Other Backward Castes (OBC), and Economically Backward Classes (EBC), apart from the General/Unreserved Category whereas ST community is availing reservation of 31% in the State.
ZCA then highlighted the woes of tribal people while adding that they have been facing decades of socio-cultural, economic, and political discrimination and clinical deprivation by the State apparatus through various legislations, policies and plans.
Granting ST status to the Meetei at this juncture will further marginalise the tribal populace to the point of total subjugation, it added.
ZCA also alleged that the State Government has declared the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest, Dampi Forest Reserved, Cheklaphai Forest Reserved, Lentang Forest Reserved, Kailam Sanctuary, Tolbung Forest Reserved Forest, Vangai Forest Reserved without proper notification thereby affecting the habitat of thousands of tribal populace living in nearly a hundred villages across the area.
ZCA further alleged that the State Forest Department also fraudulently prepared documents of the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest.
Further, ZCA continued to allege that the State Government's demand for legal documents from village chiefs to stake claim of their rights for settlement within the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest is "nothing but a trap" .
It claimed that there is no such 'protected forest' as claimed by the Government.
The chiefs of the said villages also allegedly denied the existence of such protected forest.
Lastly, the chiefs claimed that expediting the Suspension of Operation (SoO) talks with the UPF and KNO will be the only way out to protect the weak and marginalised tribal communities.