ST campaign takes a new, fresh approach to wake up people
Give missed call, MTU urges Meitei folks
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 17 2023:
The Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union has appealed to all Manipuris to take part in the month long "mass missed call campaign for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe list" (mobile number 8732042511) which will be held from November 20 to December 20 .
The Union made the appeal on behalf of all the groups and organisations taking forward the movement to enlist Meetei/Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe list such as World Meetei Council, Kangleipak Kanba Lup, Salai Kanba Lup and the groups of global Meetei diasporas based in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherland, New Zealand, Qatar Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, United Kingdom and USA among others.
In a statement, the Union claimed that the population of Meeteis was reduced from 56 per cent in 1881 to 44 per cent in 2011 .
Meeteis are being confined only to only a circle of land for 72/73 years on the presumption that Meetei are more advanced in terms of art, culture and sports, thereby denying them the right to play in an equal playing field, the Union contended.
Claiming that one person competing against 1000 will never be easy no matter how strong the person is, the Union said that the.
disadvantage being faced by Meeteis will be solved to some extent if the ethnic group is given the ST status.
Will it be wrong to assume that the doubt on the identity of Meeteis being felt by the vast majority of people in North East India with similar features emerges from the 'General' status given to the ethnic group, it asked.
The Union further said that Meeteis have been sleeping for too long and the ethnic group may disappear if they don't wake up now.
Saying that enlistment of Meetei in the ST list is indispensable to secure the future of the ethnic group, the Union appealed to one and all to participate in the missed call campaign and give more thrust to the demand.