Riding on massive response to mass miss call campaign...United voice raised for ST status demand
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 22 2024:
The people's mandate and their common aspiration is very clear.
They want the Scheduled Tribe tag given to the Meitei/Meetei community, said various organisations including the STDCM, WMC and MMTU today as they released a book on the community's quest for the status.
The book titled "Meitei Tribe's Quest for Scheduled Tribe Status" was released at Manipur Press Club Imphal.
The 51-page book is based on the outcome and recommendations of a mass missed call campaign which was organised last year to cement and give momentum to the ST demand.
Centred around the ST demand raised by the Meitei/Meetei community, the book contains materials and data collected by different organisations spearheading the campaign.
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The organisations which have contributed materials and data include World Meetei Council (WMC), Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STD-CM), Meetei/Meitei Tribe Union (MMTU), Meetei Yaipha Lup (Europe), Meitei Diaspora in America, Global Manipur Federation (GMF), Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) and Salai Kanba Lup.
During a press conference held on the sideline of the book release function, Urikhinbam Ngamkheilakpa Luwangcha, the spokesperson of the organisations said various campaigns including a mass missed call campaign was held to put pressure on the Government to recognise Meitei/Meetei as a Scheduled Tribe.
The mass missed call campaign, organised last year from November 21 to December 31, was a big success and it had received a massive support of more than 10 lakh people.
The overwhelming response received by the campaign shows that the people want the Scheduled Tribe status.
The people want Constitutional protection, he added.
The Scheduled Tribe status is being demanded to give Constitutional protection to the Meitei/Meetei community.
The community needs the status to survive, protect its identity, culture and integrity, he said.
Ngamkheilakpa asserted that the Meiteis/Meeteis are in a very precarious position where its survival has been put at risk.
Under such conditions, ST status is the only solution for the community, he added.
The mandate of the people as shown by the campaign, materials and data collected related to the community and the ST demand have been compiled in the book.
The book, Ngam-kheilakpa said, will be presented to the Chief Minister.
Despite repeated appeals made to send the recommendations along with the latest socio-economic survey and ethnographic report to the Central Ministry of Tribal Affairs for inclusion of the Meiteis/Meeteis in the ST list, the Government has remained mute and not taken up any positive steps, he said.
Asking if anyone has objected to sending the recommendations, he said, in such a case, the Government and all parties concerned may hold talks and hammer out a solution.
He urged the State Government to do the needful and send the recommendations to the Central Ministry of Tribal Affairs for its consideration.
Notably, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs had asked the State Government in 2013 to send the recommendations along with the latest socio-economic survey and ethnographic report for its consideration.
While many MLAs and Ministers have publicly endorsed the demand, the Government led by Chief Minister N Biren Singh has not yet sent the recommendations.