Opinion poll move shelved, two suspended
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 21 2022: The state government has withdrawn the online opinion poll on Scheduled Tribe (ST) demand for Meetei-Meitei run by the Economics and Statistics Department, citing possible cause of creating misunderstanding among the different indigenous communities in the state.

Consequently, an order issued by the department of personnel and administrative reforms (personnel division) has suspended director of economics and statistics department Peijo Kamei and deputy director (administration) RK Dhirensana for running the opinion poll.

Mention may be made that the department issued a public notification on November 18 informing about the online opinion poll inviting inputs from the public.

The department also published advertisement in this regard in local media.

However, the opinion poll drew flaks from some sections of the society, saying that it could create possible misunderstanding among the indigenous communities.

An order issued by dep uty secretary of economics and statistics VR Khongrei cancelled the earlier notification and instructed the officials to take down the online opinion poll.

Meanwhile, Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) and World Meetei Council (WMC) have strongly opposed the opinion poll exercise regarding the demand for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST list.

In a letter addressed to Economics & Statistics director sent on Monday, STDCM general secretary K Bhogendrajit stated the Committee is very concerned with the opinion poll exercise of the Department in connection with the demand for inclusion of Meetei in the ST list of the Constitution of India.

The opinion poll initiated by the Department, for obvious reasons, is an exercise which does not specify the target community whose opinion is being sought and is therefore, bound to generate a result which is disputable, fallacious, deceptive, indecisive and misleading, it claimed.

STDCM continued that such a highly disputable misinformation may spark protest from the supporters of the demand or invite complement from the opponents.

Such a situation can flare up unwanted but avoidable tension and confusion, it cautioned and demanded the Department withdraw the move to conduct the opinion poll.

Meanwhile, a release issued by WMC secretary general Yambem Arun Meetei, pointed out that the matter of including a group of people in the list of ST or not is to be decided on the merits of the demand as prescribed by the Lokur Committee and not by any opinion poll.

WMC cannot understand the intention of the government behind making the issue of Meetei ST a subject for public opinion poll, it added.

"We all know that the latest census data shows that Meetei's population has been reduced to around 44 per cent of the total population of Manipur from the earlier approximately 66 per cent, as recorded in 1971 census on which the delimitation of present assembly seats were based upon like in the other states of the country," it said.

WMC continued that whatever the intention of the state government one thing is certain that the result of the opinion poll will only send out an extremely wrong message that could create more unwanted situations.

Besides the fact that the practicality of conducting such opinion polls, where the number of Meetei people with smartphones are less than 25 per cent of the Meetei population and fewer still is the number of Meetei population with email ID, is almost impossible, which must be noted, it pointed out.

WMC further appealed to chief minister N Biren to review the opinion poll exercise and take necessary action against the responsible officials who have made dubious attempt to confuse the public in the name of celebrating 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' .

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