No compromise on ST demand: STDCM
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 23 2024: Reiterating its demand that the state government recommend to the central government inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the ST list, Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) made it clear that it shall make no compromise with any other demands.

According to a release, STDCM has been demand ing inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the ST list under Article 342(1) of the Indian constitution with the main objective of ensuring constitutional safeguard for the community, fruition of which will rest on sending recommendation along with ethnographic and socio-economic report to the central government by the state government.

Subsequent to submission of a representation by STDCM, the centre had directed the government of Manipur to send the recommendation on May 29, 2013, which the state is yet to comply with till date, it regretted, while stating that the public movement in pursuance of the ST status is being carried out albeit in low key manner in view of the unrest situation since May 3, 2023 .

While suggesting that no community or Meetei groups propagate narrative intended to dilute the crucial ST issue with other demands, the release reiterated that inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the ST list of the Indian constitution is of utmost necessity to uphold the identity and land of the Meetei/Meitei community, and urged ministers and MLAs who have endorsed the demand to discuss the matter with the CM in order to expedite the process, if any, for sending the recommendation to the centre.

The Committee, meanwhile, demanded resettlement of the people displaced by the conflict at the earliest and said that it would never allow disruption to territorial and administrative integrity of Manipur in trying to resolve the conflict.

The release also informed that a people's convention will be held in first week of September to intensify campaign for the ST demand and appealed to the people to take part in the same.

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