'ST tag is not climbing down but special status'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 17 2018: Strongly backing the demand that the Meiteis be included in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Constitution of India, the Senior Citizens for Society, Manipur (SCSM) has today asserted that getting the ST tag does not mean climbing down the social rung but is about getting a special status or being included in a special category list.

This was echoed during a special meeting held with the Co-ordinating Body of Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee at its office at Konthoknganbi today.

'ST tag is not climbing down but special status

Speaking at the meeting, secretary of SCSM Senior Advocate Kh Mani said that if the Meiteis are to survive as Indian citizens then it is imperative that they be enlisted as Scheduled Tribe in the Constitution of India.

It would be hazardous for the Meitei population to survive by being in the general category, he said and added that the population of the Meiteis is such that there is only one Meitei in every 1000 Indians who are in the general category.

Asserting that getting enlisted in the ST category is not climbing down the ladder, Mani said that it on the other hand means getting a special status or being included in a special category of the Constitution.

In the face of the rapid globalisation, Act East Policy, the special stress given to the North East by the DoNER Ministry and NEC, it is important that the Meiteis enjoy Constitutional provisions to protect their land and resources, he noted.

As such it is important for the people to sit down together and discuss differences, he added.

General Secretary of SCSM, Prof N Sadananda said that given the fast changing economic policy triggered by globalisation or the Act East Policy, the Meiteis too need Constitutional protection or else they will be forced to sell their own land to survive.

And land is central to the survival of a people, he noted and added "We cannot claim to be developed just because we have excelled in sports, in the arts and culture." The concept of development should be understood through the prism of the survival of the people, he added.

Land is central to the survival of a people and as such the Meiteis too need Constitutional protection to protect their land, he said.

It was due to the wrong perception of the forefathers that the Meiteis were included in the general category but one cannot continue to live in the folly of the past, he said.

The time is right to reverse this and get the Meiteis enlisted in the ST category.

Retd Colonel Th Achouba, who is also the secretary of SCSM recalled the analysis of political analyst of Assam Bezbaruah who said that the demand to include the Meiteis in the ST list will turn out to be the biggest issue in the State and added that as such all including political parties, politicians and legislators need to seriously study the issue at hand.

It has been 68 years since the Meiteis/Meeteis have been denied a level playing field and it is only right that the State Government takes up the necessary steps knowing the ground reality, he said.