ST status demand: Govt yet to send recommendation to Centre
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 10 2021: While expressing a deep sense of worry over the absence of any Constitutional safeguard for protection of Meitei/Meetei community, Chief Minister N Biren today informed the State Assembly that no recommendation has been sent yet to the Centre regarding the demand for enlistment of Meitei/Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.

Replying to a query raised by Congress MLA L Meghachandra, the Chief Minister stated that the State Cabinet has not yet sent any recommendation to the Union Government in favour of the demand as there is no consensus but objections from certain quarters.

Nonetheless, the Chief Minister underscored the growing need for protection of Meitei/Meetei community through a Constitutional safeguard.

ST status demand: Govt yet to send recommendation to Centre

He remarked that the particular community has been staring at a very grim future as they are deprived of any Constitutional safeguard.

Even though hill people are protected under Article 371-C of the Constitution, Meitei/Meetei is deprived of any such protection although the State Government had talked about the worrisome state of Meitei/Meetei community with the Central Government's relevant Ministry, Biren said.

The State Government took up the matter with the Central Government but the latter was taking sometime in taking a final decision.

In the meantime, the Central Government extended the Inner Line Permit System to Manipur, Biren claimed.

He remarked that most of the regions/areas where ILPS is enforced are ST States.

Even though Meitei/Meetei community is not included in the ST list, extension of ILPS was somewhat related to the matter.

Informing the House that the State Government has been examining whether enlistment of Meetei/Meitei in ST category would be beneficial or not, Biren asserted there is no denying of the fact that Meitei/Meetei needs protection.

"I can boldly say and openly admit that Meitei/Meetei needs a Constitutional safeguard", Biren told the House.

Yet, the Government has been taking sometime to see that no other community of the State has any misgiving or sense of uneasiness as and when the particular community is enlisted in ST category, the Chief Minister stated.

Just as Constitutional safeguard is essential for all other communities of the State, Meitei/Meetei too needs protection.

There was no dispute when the Ahom community of Assam was enlisted in ST category.

The total population of Meitei/Meetei community is just around 12 lakhs and it constitutes a microscopic minority of the total population of India.

Moreover, they are confined to a very small area.

Meitei/Meetei people want to send their children to good educational institutions of the country, crave for scholarships instituted by the Central Government as well as Central Government jobs.

The demand for enlisting the particular community in ST category would not affect the existing environment of the State in any manner, said K Meghachandra while raising a question on the demand for ST status.

Highlighting that opening of Trans-Asian Highway and another international highway which runs from Saurashtra to Myanmar would have adverse impacts on Meitei/Meetei community, Meghachandra decried that the Government has been taking too much time on the demand for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in ST list.

He asserted that the particular demand is quite legitimate and it does not affect any other community.

He further sought assurance from the Government to fulfil the demand within its current term.

Although the Chief Minister did not give any concrete time frame, he assured the House that the Government would take up all necessary steps at the earliest so that the demand materialises without impinging upon the interest of other communities.

Zero Hour
Even though the Government of India gives 10 pc reservation to economically weaker sections, the same benefit is being denied to the people of Manipur, said K Meghachandra during zero hour.

Drawing attention of the House, Meghachandra said that people belonging to the economically weaker section should be given 10 pc reservation at Central Agriculture University, Manipur University, NIT, RIMS and other Central institutions but they are deprived of the same benefit because the State Government is not issuing any EWS certificate.

However, people coming from other States get admission in RIMS and other Central institutions located in the State as they came with EWS certificates while the same benefit is denied to local people, Meghachandra said.

He then urged the Government to start issuing EWS certificates to deserving beneficiaries as soon as possible.