Clarion call to Hon'ble CM
- January 28, 2024 :: World Meetei Council -

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WMC solemnly and earnestly urges Hon'ble Shri N Biren Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur to kindly remember that the fate of the 15 lakhs odd Meetei people of Manipur lies in his hands!

The Meetei are confined in around 5 to 6 percent of the total area of Manipur. Whereas, the demography of the state had witnessed a tectonic shift in the last few decades. Meetei who had constituted about 60 percent of the total population of Manipur as per the 1971 census have now been downed to about 44% in the last 2011 census.

The fact is the migrant population have now taken over the Naga indigenous community and jumped up to the second spot having the second largest population in the state and the influx of these illegal migrants continue till now.

On top of these developments, delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in the country including Manipur will be conducted in 2026. Delimitation means more people, more seats.

The Meetei who are at the receiving end will be exposed more and more which could threaten Meetei's identity in the next two to three decades.

Therefore, the situation has called the Meetei people to do with all their might to protect their identity by getting the constitutional protection under the Scheduled Tribe provision. WMC has done a thorough research about the eligibility for being included in the list of Scheduled Tribes as per the given rules of law.

The findings of the research have established beyond doubt that the Meetei fulfil all the criteria for ST status.

Now, Meetei people have very little time as the Delimitation would be conducted in 2026. If delimitation take place without considering Meetei's claim then the identity of the Meetei would become vulnerable and the integrity of Manipur would be seriously challenged.

This is a question of Now or Never!

Therefore, WMC urges the Hon'ble Shri N Biren Singh to kindly cause to send the two reports on (1) Meetei's ethnography and (2) Meetei's latest Socio-economic to the centre before the Parliamentary elections.

Yambem Arun Meetei
Secretary General,
CEC - World Meetei Council