MTU campaigns to delete illegal immigrants from ST list
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 18 2024: Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MTU) has informed that the union launched a campaign through submission of memorandums to chief secretary, additional chief secretary and government institutions demanding deletion of illegal immigrants/refugees from the Schedules Tribes (ST) list and withdraw the benefits enjoyed by them.

In a release, MTU secretary administration Mutum Churamani urged authorities concerned, DCs and SDO/SDC not to provide benefits meant for ST to those who should not be included in ST list and further exhorted not to issue new ST certificates to them.

It is evident through the orders of Manipur State Darbar that Kukis are foreigner.

An order issued in 1933 directed Kuki villages having 20 houses to pay at least Rs 6 as a refugee tax, he informed.

Moreover, there is no word 'Kuki' before the Anglo-Manipurs war, he added.

Pointing out that a ruling of Delhi High Court on January 9 adjudicated against enlisting foreigners in the ST list, he recalled that the court concluded inclusion of foreigners in ST list as complete violation of Article 19 (1) of the Indian Constitution.

After the merger of Manipur in 1949, India has been mistreating Manipur.

The Indian law seems to be not implemented in Manipur and lakhs of outsiders from Bangladesh and Myanmar came into the state despite implementation of Foreigners Act, 1946, he decried.

Recalling that India fought different wars for territory including the 1999 Kargil War where 527 Indian soldiers were martyred, Churamani questioned whether Manipur is still a part of Manipur.

Meetei community is drowning in the ocean of massive Indian population of around 140 crore.

The voice of the indigenous Meetei to save themselves from such overwhelming population remains unheard and even politicians are indulging in vote bank politics.

The inclusion of outsiders in the voter lists continues unabated in several assembly constituencies of the state.

The mass inclusion of immigrants from Myanmar in the voters' list for electoral politics has now led to a situation where outsiders openly advocate disintegration of Manipur, noted the secretary.

While maintaining that the war is against all the indigenes of Manipur, he urged Naga community to jointly fight against the Kukis.

He continued that the inclusion of Meetei/ Meitei in ST list for providing constitutional protection is imperative for Meetei.

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