Scheduled Tribe status for Meitei/Meetei

B. Angousana Sharma *

Ekoukhatpa ceremony for Yumnam Leikai Yumjao Lairembi at Chingkhei Pukhri, Kangla , scared place of Manipur on 31 May 2014 :: Pix - Shanker Khangembam

The Scheduled Tribe demand committee of Manipur (STDCM) is the organization agitating for the Scheduled Tribe Status for Meitei/Meetei . STDCM is not demanding a new post for the community, though Meitei/Meetei would seek to the government to ascertain the way out to asunder the obstacles of Meitei for inclusion to the Scheduled Tribe list, in the gazetteers of India. So that the confusion of the omission can be removed in the administration.

Because:

The Meitei/Meetei was Scheduled Tribe according to the census records of 1891,1901,1931, and thereafter, Meitei has been removed from the gazetteers of 1951 onward without any communication to the people of Manipur, to the government of Manipur, without obtaining approval of the Minister of Tribal Affairs, Delhi

It is fact that, there was a commission constituted in the Tribal Minister, led by the then premier of Assam Shri Gopinath Bardoloi and his associate Mr. Nicolas Roy, sent to Manipur to verify the social status of Meitei during 1949. During the survey of the commission statements of some prominent leaders of the State had recorded, which was not public for mass opinion. Perhaps, the record of the commission would be the basis of decision to delete Meitei from the ST list. But, it is amaze that such reports have not so far been preserved, hence not communicated to the government, yet the people of Manipur, so as the people of Meitei community might discuss upon. As a result, a community has lost six decades. Generations have lost without care of the Government.

More than 100 famous referable books are available to assure Meitei is Tribal. Among them the famous Anthropologist T.C. Hutson’s the Meitei, David Stratt’s, Foot prints of North East India may be taken into account.

However a little misunderstanding in the intellectuals of Manipur might prevailed into that, the ST might have given as privilege for the backward community provided by the Central government, which can be withdrawn the ST status when necessary to withdraw the facilities from the community. This concept was old and rejected. The same thought of attachable and detachable, removable has been denied by the United Nations Convention 1969 of 1989 AD, hence the U.N, Convention 107 of 1955 AD, in which, ST could change the status by development and improvement of economic status of the society, which has been overruled. Because, S.T. is the matter of genetic, indigenous, and further corresponds to the culture of the community, which can not be changed by economic development. A community has been once recognized by the government as ST shall remain forever. It is unchangeable.

Therefore, keeping deep consideration into the matter of Scheduled Tribe status for Meitei/Meetei is found genuine according to the documentary evidence of books and records in the archive. Therefore, the present government of Manipur has no area to delay to act upon Assembly proceedings in regard of Scheduled Tribe, to push through for further recommendation of the Governor under the constitutional provision of Article 163 of the Constitution. Also, the Article 342 of the constitution has the room for proposal of the ST, when the issue is genuine and applicable.

ETHNOGRAPHY/ SOCIAL ECONOMIC SURVEY REPORT.

In the mean time the President STDCM represented a meeting with the then PM of India Shri. Manmohan Singh & the ST Minister of Delhi in this regard. President STDCM has submitted a memorandum on 29th May, 2013 in this regard for recognition of Meitei in the ST category. With reference to the memorandum, the Minister of Tribal Affairs, New Delhi has dropped a letter to the Government of Manipur to submit ethnography report as well as socio-economic survey report to the government of India for further necessary action.

In the this regard STDCM is of the opinion that ,there will be not necessary to submit reports, to the centre. Because, Meitei had been already in the list of Scheduled Tribe. Secondly, Meiteis are not demanding a new status for which a report of such instructions may require to the Head Quarter, to be submitted for approval of the government. Meitei remained in the status of S.T. for long continuously from 1891 to 1950. Therefore, STDCM is simply moving to restore the missing status for long 65 years since 1950 till today. For which the centre and the State Govt. have to realise to compensate the victims of the mistake committed by the Govt. which is serious.

As because, oversight and the omission of Meitei from the list of Scheduled Tribe from 1950 the community is facing irreparable economic down turn for decades. How many talented, eminent youths had been crushed their careers without breaking the dreams, even been remained in the above capable status to the already selected cadres in the UPSC/MPSC advent .

SOCIO-ECONOMIC-SURVEY REPORT FOR MEITEI

Meitei is already in the trap of income tax. A third and fourth grade employee or a sub¬contract self employee Meitei is paying income tax. On the other side Meitei will be No.1 community in the world whose maximum children are sending out of the state for study without any concession, even being a guardian from the poverty line. Meitei will be No.1 community in the country, wherein, maximum of the employments in the state managed services through bribe. For education, for employment of the children the guardians use to sale out paddy fields and residential lands. Therefore, the Meitei community lived in with a sizeable dream for the younger generations. Will there be any community poorer than Meitei of Manipur and the Meitei in the other states, in the country ?

It is pertinent to refer the social and economic status of Meiteis in Assam, where, younger peoples are not getting job, and deprived. Old women of Meitei are running small lane shops with the little home-made sweets for survival. Whereas, all kinds of facilities are providing to the other communities, as those communities are tribal. Therefore, there is no new improvement in the economic status of Meitei. Therefore, it is not necessary to submit a new report in connection with ethnography and socio-economic-survey report as Meitei is already deprived, resented and impediment from development. The movement for restoration of Meitei in the ST list is genuine; and therefore, the Govt. of Manipur will obviously help to succeed the demand.

The biggest trouble in Meitei community will be facing in the near future is thinning population of Meitei and influx population from outside mainland; rather, Meitei will unable to hold the business status. This is exploitation. Therefore, fear of extinct of Meitei community from Manipur, round the corner., Imphal has maximum area of 2000 sq.km, out of the total area of 22,327 sq.km, of Manipur. Therefore, Imphal is a basin of 2000 sq.km., out of which Loktak, small lakes, mounds and marshy lands covered more than 800 sq.km area. Therefore, habitable area will be hardly available from 1000 to 1200 Sq.km, area in the valley; in which,all kinds of expectations of the peoples of Manipur concealed.

But, today Meitei is in alert in various fields to combat deprivation with sit-in protest, rally, ILP, STDCM, pointing to the only one object to safe Meitei, and Imphal and Manipur. Because, Meitei has been neglected, and having impediment from all kinds of developments. This is a kind of war of a society, which is necessary today. By the time the Government of Manipur has to give hand to the STDCM. Government has to initiate the issue immediately without division of thoughts and minds of the leaders in the Assembly, forgetting all differences, so that, we can effort to recover the lost of the past in years long. Manipur Legislative Assembly may take pain to push through the proposal from the State Assembly for further recommendation of the Governor, for approval of the government of India.

Let us remember the lost of 65 years i.e. more than six decades. How many eligible, portal students had lost their morals; had been crushed out the services careers. The lost of the economy in the state, lost of development in the state established a frame work to disgruntle the youths of the state. Who will be responsible for the past and present ? At least the future of the generation should not waste due to lack of responsibility of the leaders of the state. This is the hope of the STDCM.

We lost fraternity, brotherhood, sisterhood among Tribal communities and Meitei. We were in false pride and misunderstanding. But, some of the opinion are trying to pull out the attention of the people, by diverting the minds of the people with the thoughts relating to Dharma and religion, which does not relate to Scheduled Tribe status for Meiteis. This is purely a matter related to culture (Naat) which is still alive in Meitei community. When sanata Dharma was adopted by Meitei the community had not lost the cultures, there was no trouble, hence Meitei Dharma is conglomerated Sanatan. Either Meitei worship SIVA, KRISHNA or other deities, Meitei again preserve the primitive culture as under, as animism rituals like, THOU TOUBA, KHEIYOM LAKPA, EPAN THABA, SAROI KHANGBA, USHING TOUBA, KWAK TANBA, AMAIBA AMAIBI; MAI BAN A KHUT THABA (WHEN A PERSON DECLARE DEATH), LUHONGBA DA KABOK CHAIBA, SANAMAHI SIDHA THINBA LAI HARAOBA, LAIBOU CHONGBA, SAG El CHAKLON KATPA, MANGANI CHAKKOUBAGLAI LOUKHATPA, LAI LOIBA etc.etc.

Another fear in the minds of the innocent peoples of Meitei community is that commencement of the ST status, there will be of degradation of the status of the society, which is baseless. Keeping in view of ritual occasions of the community it is very clear that; to be a tribe does not concern ritual formalities, will not disturb, when the ST status is restored. Dharma does not affect the ST status, also does not concern. We shall perform Lai Haraoba, Sanamahi Pujah, Mandir Pujah, Janmastami, Ratha Yatra and other ritual formalities.

The ritualistic marriage will be there; the Sraadha will be there; the Swasthi pujah the Phiroi, Yaoshang or any kind of ritual formilities will not be diminished. This is purely non-religious non-political movement for the cause of Scheduled Tribe for Meitei which was long been missing facilities in the fog of confusion.

Therefore, the people, the government and other organisations in Meitei community have no area for hasitation to join the movement of the STDCM. Welcome in the STDCM movement.

What will loss ? No

There will be no loss with the cause. No misunderstanding, misinterpretation into the Scheduled Tribe demand for Mejtei/Meetei. There is no question of loss of religion or down- gradation of Dharma in the community.

What may gain or benefit ? Uncountable benefits are there:
1. When Meitei become ST all kinds of loss of the future of the youths and loss in the service career will be protected.
2. Loss of income due to tax paid will be protected.
3. Children education will not give burden to the guardians.
4. We shall appear development in the state.
5. Inner Line Permit will spontaneously implemented without any demand.
6. MLR & LR Act (Manipur Land & Revenue and Reformation Act) will smoothly and broadly be implemented.
7. Bribe for employment will decline.
8. UPSC/MPSC cadre services will be flourished in Meitei.
9. Manipur can be declared as a hill state; thereafter, all the Hills states of the east India will able to form a federation, for further development.

Another confusion of the hills people of Manipur about Scheduled Tribe quota will be snatched by Meitei from the hills people. But it will not do so, the Article 16(4) of the Indian Constitution is very clear that, this is the matter of local arrangement to be made by the state government. State will be held responsible for that. No community no individual will face trouble due to Scheduled Tribe status restored into the list, for Meitei/Meetei of the world.

10. The most important matter is community equation, retreat of the fraternity among brother communities. All ideological deviations will be removed.
11. The most important and biggest benefit will be safeguarding of own land, own community and own culture.
12. Over and above benefit will be economic uprising and equal development.

The STDCM hope that, to restore Meitei into the ST list shall give benefit to all communities of the State; rather to all communities of North East States. Therefore, it is also believe that, all will come and join the movement. This is a matter of humiliation of a community, for long 65 years underprivileged to a community, is the cause of humanity.