Send recommendations to Centre : MTU
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 05 2023: In yet another push to the movement demanding classification of Meetei/Meitei as a Scheduled Tribe (ST), the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MTU) has urged the State Government to take a concrete decision to forward the ethnographic and socio-economic reports of Meetei/Meitei to the Centre in the upcoming Assembly session.

The Union said that they would be grateful if Chief Minister N Biren Singh sends the recommendations sought by Centre to initiate the process of enlisting the Meetei/Meitei in the ST list of the Indian Constitution.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club today, MTU cultural and religion secretary Ch Nandalala Angomcha said that the Union has already submitted a memorandum each to Governor La Ganesan and the Chief Minister to incorporate the agenda of enlisting the ethnic group in the ST list in the Governor's address ahead of the Assembly session.

Saying that the majority of the indigenous communities of Manipur have already been classified as ST and given Constitutional safeguard excluding Meetei/Meitei, he asserted that the Meetei/Meitei will be wiped out from the soil of Manipur if some sort of Constitutional protection is not given to them.

"If the Chief Minister understands the sentiments of the Meetei/Meitei populace and sends the recommendations then the Union would be very grateful to him," he reiterated.

Asking if the Government has a discreet agenda for not forwarding the recommendations to the Centre till date, Nandalala continued that the Meetei/Meitei which has a meagre population will surely disappear if they continue to exist in general category in India which is home to over 134 crore population.

Saying that the decade old movement spearhead by Scheduled Tribe Committee of Manipur (STDCM) only envisages protection of Meitei/Meetei populace, he maintained that the Government not sending the recommendations sought by the Centre is a big disappointment for the entire population belonging to the ethnic group.

He claimed that the majority of the population in Manipur including MLAs want Meetei/Meitei be granted ST status as the mere survival of the ethnic group has been threatened by various factors including influx of illegal immigrants.

There might be a great unrest in the State if the Government continues to sideline the demand, he cautioned.

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