Moirang responds well to ST demand call
Source: The Sangai Express

Moirang/Imphal, September 11 2022: The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) staged a sit-in protest at Moirang Thoibi Awun Keithel along with members of Moirang Thoibi Awun Keithel Co-operative Society Ltd, All Moirang Bazar Sinmeelup and Moirang Bazar COVID-19 Shops Committee, today.

STDCM working president L Lokendra, general secretary T Bhogendrajit, Salaikanba Lup vice chairman L Gopal and members of STDCM, Moirang area attended the programme.

At the protest demonstration, Lokendra said that Meiteis/Meeteis are still not given any Constitutional protection which is given to the majority of the tribes in the North East region and as such the ethnic group is facing many problems.

Moirang responds well to ST demand call

He said that Meeteis/Meiteis are becoming more and more like a minority as people from other areas can settle and purchase land in the valley area of Manipur while the same is not the case in hill districts. This division by the Constitution, at times, causes misunderstanding among the people, he reasoned.

Saying that this barrier between the hill and valley people must be broken with the help of the Constitution, he urged the State Government to send the recommendation sought by the Centre to grant ST tag to the Meetei/Meitei at the earliest.

Placards that read "We demand ST status", "There is no harm in granting ST tag to Meetei/Meitei," "Meetei/Meitei fulfils the criteria to be identified as ST", "Moirang people will support the movement of STDCM" and "Send the ethnography and socioeconomic reports of Meetei/Meitei" were used during the sit-in.

A similar demonstration was also staged at Sayang Community Hall, here, today with a demand to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei/Meetei at the earliest.

Today's protest was staged along with the volunteers of Usha Bhavan Club, Sayang and local meira paibi members.

Speaking to media persons, one of the protesters stated that the people of Sayang support the movement being taken up by STDCM to protect the Meetei /Meitei.

Urging the State Government and the people to acknowledge the problems besieging the Meetei/Meitei populace, the protester urged the Government to do the needful so as to save the ethnic group from becoming a minority in their own land.

The STDCM has been urging the State Government to send the ethnographic and socio economic reports of the Meetei/Meitei to the Centre so as to enlist the Meetei/Meitei in the ST list of the Indian Constitution.