STDCM, WMC seek to make ST call a poll issue
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 04 2024:
United by a common call, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) and World Meetei Council (WMC) have intensified the movement seeking enlistment of Meetei/Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of the Constitution ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
The two organisations which have been championing ST demand for Meetei/ Meitei have also said that they won't support the candidates of the Lok Sabha election who don't support their demand.
While STDCM and Wakhal Manaba Apunba (WAMA) Kangleipak kick started a poster campaign at Khwairamband Keithel and demanded all political parties and candidates of the 18th Lok Sabha election to include sending the recommendations for enlistment of Meetei/Meitei in the ST list in their manifestos, WMC and members of Lamlong Keithel Phambi Apunba Nupi Lup staged a demonstration at Lamlong Keithel and raised slogans in unison to grant ST status to the Meetei/Meitei.
"ST status for Meetei/Meitei: The Only Way Forward" is what WMC advocates and the Council asked the State Government to send the socio-economic and ethnographic reports of the Meetei/Meitei to the Centre before the Lok Sabha elections.
Some of the slogans which were raised at Lamlong Keithel were "Delaying ST is denying ST", "CM Biren playing politics only for his chair", "CM Biren can't compromise our future", "Send the recommendation", "NRC, ILPS and border fencing alone can't protect us", "ST is the only way to safeguard Meetei/Meitei", "Is the interest of Meetei/Meitei going to be sacrificed for not reaching a consensus with other communities", "CM Biren shouldn't equate his political survival with the survival of Meetei/Meitei" and "Don't support the MP candidates who don't support the demand to add Meetei/Meitei in the ST list" among others.
Meanwhile at Khwairamband Keithel, STDCM joint secretary Moirangthem Naokhamba Meitei said that they carried out the poster campaign as the successive State Governments failed to send the recommendations required to grant ST tag to the Meetei and the incumbent Govt is not an exception.
Saying that they will carry out the poster campaign at all Keithels as the Meeteis, despite being an indigenous people, are still not getting any Constitutional safeguard, Naokhamba maintained that the movement of the STDCM is only to secure the future of the ethnic group.
He asked the Government to send the socio economic and ethnographic reports of Meetei/Meitei to the Centre at the earliest.
Appealing to all candidates of the Lok Sabha election to endorse their movement and highlight the same in their respective manifestos, Naokhamba added that they won't support the candidates who don't endorse the ST demand by the Meetei/Meitei.
He went on to state that no community should object to the legitimate demand of Meetei/Meitei nor should they object when others demand their right.
The Meetei/Meitei people have been residing in Manipur even before it gets its name but the ethnic group still doesn't have any Constitutional safeguard which can protect them from various factors which threaten the survival of the ethnic group, Naokhamba said and condemned the successive State Governments for not sending the recommendations.
He said that the Centre has been seeking the recommendations from the State Government for years, since 2013.Stating that they will launch more agitations if the State Government fails to send the recommendation after the election, he added that the poster campaign will be carried out everyday.