WMC asks CM to take back ST demand remark
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 09 2025: World Meetei Council (WMC) has rejected the recent statement by the chief minister N Biren Singh, suggesting that the demand by the Meetei community for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list under the Indian Constitution is the root cause of the ongoing violence in the state.

WMC has demanded immediate withdrawal of this statement, which it described as "illogical, unfounded, and harmful" to the larger interests of the state.

In a press release, the WMC expressed deep concern and disappointment over the chief minister's remarks, which have been widely circulated, including by media outlets in Northeast India such as India Today NE .

The council stated that the truth is far from the narrative being propagated.

It pointed out that on April 28, 2023, just five days before the tragic events of May 3, 2023, members of the Chin-Kuki community openly challenged the chief minister by vandalising and setting fire to an open gym and sports facility in Churachandpur, which he was scheduled to inaugurate the following day.

"This act of violence was even broadcast live by mainstream media, suggesting that the violence was premeditated and known to.

some national and foreign correspondents present in the area," it averred.

Despite this, WMC noted, the chief minister downplayed the incident as a local matter unrelated to his visit.

The Council asserted that the solidarity rally, claimed to be in support of tribal causes against the Meetei demand for ST status, was a pretext for violent attacks on the Meetei community, which ignited the ongoing conflict.

WMC highlighted historical records, including the Cheitharol Kumpaba (the official Royal Chronicle of Manipur) and British-era documents, which show that the Chin-Kuki community began migrating to Manipur in the 18th century.

Leaders of the Chin-Kuki community have officially stated that they arrived as refugees.

The council argued that immigrants cannot be classified as Scheduled Tribes and called for revising the ST list to include the indigenous Meetei community while excluding the immigrant Chin-Kuki communities.

Reaffirming the demand for ST status for the 14 lakh indigenous Meetei people, WMC emphasised that it is a just, rightful, and necessary move.

The Council urged the chief minister to reflect on his previous statements and immediately withdraw the same, terming the remarks as baseless and divisive.

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