STDCM reaches out with ST call
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 10 2024:
The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) met RPI (A)'s candidate of the Lok Sabha election in Inner Parliamentary Constituency Maheshwar Thounaojam at the latter's residence at Keishampat today.
The STDCM team led by its president Dhiraj Yumnam discussed the need to ensure Constitutional safeguard of the Meetei by enlisting them in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of the Constitution with Maheshwar.
A memorandum was also given to the MP candidate by the STDCM representatives.
After the meeting, Maheshwar said that he had already met Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda once and demanded inclusion of Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list and removal of Chin-Kuki from the same list.
Saying that Meeteis have been witnessing different threats to its survival due to lack of Constitutional safeguard, the MP candidate claimed that the State Government doesn't have the will to recommend categorisation of Meetei people in ST category to the Centre.
It is unlikely that the PM and the Union Home Minister who have been ignoring the situation in Manipur for the last 11 months will agree to demand of the Meetei by simply sending a piece of paper to them, Maheshwar said and added that he, nonetheless, will put maximum effort to ensure Meetei gets the ST status it seeks.