Centre urged to revoke ST status of Kuki
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 13 2023:
Political activist Maheswar Thounaojam met Union tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda in New Delhi on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum urging revocation the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status given to the Kuki community.
Maheswar also categorically told the Union minister that Kukis are refugees who entered Manipur illegally and accordingly the said tribe does not deserve recognition as ST.
Sharing details of his meeting with Arjun Munda at the Parliament house, Maheswar informed The People's Chronicle that he apprised the union minister about the victim card being played by the Kuki people under the pretext of being an ST community and proposed to the union minister to review the ST status granted to the Kukis on the ground that they are refugees who entered Manipur illegally.
Instead of the Kukis, the indigenous Meetei/ Meitei community should be given the ST status, he argued.
Maheswar also informed that he handed over a book containing details about the origin of Meeteis and the Kuki refugees to the union minister, and laws of the country which prohibit granting of ST status to refugees.
According to Maheswar, a judgement of the Supreme Court passed in connection with Criminal Appeal No 11 on January 5, 2011 ruled that every ST community should be genuine citizens of India.
As per the judgement, Kukis and Zomis in Manipur should not be granted the ST status as they are not indigenes of Manipur.
However, Meeteis are indigenous people of Manipur and the community fulfils all the criteria to be recognised as ST, he maintained.