Govt asked to send ST recommendation
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 31 2021:
Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) in association with Sagolband Moirang Leirak Meira Paibi Association organised a sit-in protest at Sagolband Moirang Leirak community hall on Sunday demanding the state government to send recommendation for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the list of Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution of India.
Speaking at the protest site, STDCM publicity secretary Waikhom Anand asserted that the public are united in demanding ST status for Meetei/Meitei community in order to get constitutional safeguard.
Spearheaded by STDCM, public have been demanding the government to send the recommendation for ST status to Meetei/Meitei along with ethnographic statement indicating the origin of the community and socio-economic survey report to the Central government, which is required for the Centre to decide on granting ST status.
It is a constitutional right of the indigenous communities in India under Article 342(l) of the Constitution of India.
Unfortunately, the state government lacks the political will and the public leaders in the government ignore the crucial issue that concerns the survival of the community.
Unless the government send the recommendation, the fate of Meetei/Meitei community will be in grave situation after a decade and in that case, the government should be held responsible, he said.