STDCM asks CM N Biren to retract statement
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 02 2024: Strongly refuting the statement by chief minister N Biren in the on-going Manipur assembly session on Thursday that root cause of the current crisis in the state is the Manipur High Court's order passed on March 27, 2023 with regard to indigenous Meitei/Meetei's demand for granting ST status, Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) has demanded the CM to retract his statement.

In a release, STDCM general secretary K Bhogendrajit expressed regret that it is contrary to what the chief minister had time and again categorically said that infiltration by illegal immigrants, eviction of encroachment in Reserved and Protected forests, war on drugs, etc., are the root causes of the crisis.

No doubt, the violent crisis broke out on May 3, 2023, the day All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) organised a tribal solidarity march in protest against the Manipur High Court 's order.

But it was quite evident from the ground and media reports that the violence broke out only in areas dominated by the Kuki and allied tribes particularly in Churachandpur, Moreh and Kangpokpi.

Had the demand for Meitei/Meetei s ST status been the root cause of the current violent crisis, it should have occurred in other areas of the state inhabited by non-Kuki tribes, reasoned the Committee.

Therefore, the CM's statement made based merely on the fact that the crisis erupted coincidentally after the said solidarity march of ATSUM may mislead the public including those outside Manipur about the actual root causes, he maintained.

K Bhogendrajit also urged the CM to retract his statement lest it would tantamount to endorsing the fake and misinformation campaign carried out by a particular group to divert the narrative from the actual root causes of the current crisis to serve their hidden agenda.

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