Tension simmers as ST demand, eviction drive go haywire
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: May 04, 2023 -

IN-SPITE of the state occasionally facing tense situation over varied issues, there has been no sectarian incidents as the government made it a point to invite parties in dispute to come over to the negotiating table and iron out the differences or impress upon the agitated parties that there would be amicable solution to their grievances.

The situation, however, seems to be headed for socio-ethnic crisis after some tribal organisations started to oppose and question the rationale behind the High Court of Manipur’s directive to the state government to send the recommendation for granting scheduled tribe status to the Meetei/Meitei community.

Years after successive governments in the state and at the Centre ignored the demand for constitutional safeguard of the indigenous communities in the form of framing legislation to restrict and regulate entry of non-locals, Meitei Tribe Union approached the court consequently leading to setting the deadline for the government to do the needful rather than trying to keep the issue under wrap.

By approaching the court, proponents of the ST status for Meetei/ Meitei community rung out the message that the demand would be pursued in one way or the other until authorities take note and at-least examine legitimacy of the case.

For the record, the court’s decree was preceded by a number of conventions and discourses all ending with either adopting resolution to set deadline and pressurise the state government for formal presentation of the ST demand issue to the Central authorities or threatening to launch intense agitation in case the state government undermines the demand.

In fact, certain tribal organisations had also opposed the demand for reintroducing the inner line permit system, reserving specific assembly segments exclusively for the indigenous communities and seeking constitutional recognition to the Meetei-Meitei people as an ST community.

The core idea of these demands, as had been repeatedly elucidated by the valley organisations, relate to safeguarding all the indigenous communities settling in Manipur but to some section of the society the same demands were indigestible and unacceptable, thereby leading to what seems like a flashpoint now.

The valley organisations also appear to be getting increasingly frustrated and animated as all attempts so far to explain that unlike the tribal communities, who are getting legal shield to protect their land and people, the Meetei population feel vulnerable of being marginalised by outsiders in their place of birth remain unheeded.

Contrary to sentiment of the Meetei population, the tribal bodies’ concerns centre on depreciation of the government’s decision to carry out eviction drives for preserving the protected and reserved forest areas, which some section of the tribal population are projecting as selective targeting, and steadfast objection to the ST demand.

That the evolving situation is nothing to cherish about could be comprehended from the recent violent protests in Churachandpur district against the eviction drives and demolition of a church to make way for construction of residential quarters for tribal government employees triggering the demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as valley-based organisations suspect that the fierce objection raised against the government is to shield and shelter kindred tribe who infiltrated into the state from across the border as well as covert bid to continue poppy plantation.

Apart from the valley organisations, an influential tribal organisation too proposed for conduct of NRC over fears that illegal immigrants have already started settling in remote corners of the state and their numbers are burgeoning with each passing day.

Thus, with law and order situation vastly improved and tourist footfall on the rise, socio-ethnic discord would be detrimental to the state’s interest.