An unlikely ally for ATSUM : Interesting fence sitters
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: January 19, 2023 -

An unlikely ally and this is what is interesting.

For all their fertile mental faculty and imagination, it is not at all likely that the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur would have thought that they could find in former Chief Minister O Ibobi, a person who somewhat echoes their stand and mindset.

Consensus needed amongst all the communities of Manipur for the Meiteis to be included in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Constitution of India is the fine line that the former Chief Minister stuck to when some delegates of the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, Manipur called on him to submit a memorandum listing the said demand.

Consensus amongst all communities is a line which ATSUM would have found highly palatable for it was not so long back that the student body canvassed and campaigned not only in Manipur, but also at New Delhi against the ST tag for the Meiteis demand put up by the STDCM, WMC, MTU and others.

As a seasoned politician and as a man who has dealt with some of the most tumultuous periods in the recent history of Manipur, the former Chief Minister must know what he was talking about, but to suggest that consensus of all other communities needs to be taken first would be missing the trees for the woods.

The understanding of consensus is beautiful, there is no doubt about it, but yet at the same time it is also important for all to come around to the idea that the ST tag demand for the Meiteis need not be seen via other communities.

In short what is being demanded is for the Meiteis and this should not involve other communities.

Again everyone knows that it is beyond the purview of the State Government to declare any group of people as ST, but what is being demanded is that the State Government send the needed recommendations to the Centre.

There should be no problem in this. Just send the report or recommendations and see how the Centre responds to the move of the State Government.

This is what is being demanded. Nothing more and nothing less.

The very fact that the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs had intimated to the State Government back in 2013 to send the needed recommendations should tell its own story and significant to note that the written missive from the Centre was received when the Congress was in power here at Imphal.

So in effect this also means that for four years the Congress Government here slept over the missive from the Centre.

Viewed against this, the stand of the former Chief Minister should not come as too big a surprise but the interesting question is, what did the then State Government do after the missive from the Centre was received in 2013?

Were any attempts made to reach out to ali. the communities to inform that such a missive has come from the Centre? The answer should be obvious to all.

Important to keep in mind that protecting the interests of the Meitei community should not be seen as going against the interests of any other community.

If the Meiteis want to protect their land, which is up for grabs for anyone, then how does that impact on the interests of other communities?

If it is about admission and job quotas that the former Chief Minister and ATSUM are worried about then internal arrangements can always be worked out for Manipur.

An idea which The Sangai Express had already shared earlier.

Remember the valley area, where the Meiteis are allowed to buy land and settle down legitimately is only 10 percent of the total geographical area of Manipur.

And this 10 percent is free for everyone to come and settle while the rest 90 percent are Constitutionally protected.

Where does the question or importance of getting a consensus from all arise when the call is about the protecting the meagre resources of the valley area, the only place where the Meiteis are allowed to settle down?

Time for the STDCM, WMC, MTU and others to give more political teeth to their demand and for starters use all possible resources so that the ST demand becomes a major poll issue when Manipur goes for Assembly elections in 2027.