'Submit Meetei ethnography, status update to centre'
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 28 2024:
The World Meetei Council (WMC) has urged chief minister N Biren Singh to submit the ethnography and latest socio-economic report of the Meeteis to the centre before the parliamentary elections.
In a statement, WMC central executive committee general secretary Yambem Arun opined that chief minister N Biren should not forget that the fate of the Meeteis lies in his hands.
While pointing out that Meeteis are confined in only 5-6 percent of the Manipur's total area, and face serious threat to their existence, the Council said from 60 percent of the population as per the 1971 census, the number of Meeteis has dipped to 44 percent only according to the 2011 census report.
Contrary to the decline in the population of Meeteis, the number of illegal immigrants has been on the rise that they now exceed those on indigenous Naga population of the state.
More frightening is the fact that these illegal immigrants continue to infiltrate into the state till date.
Noting that the delimitation process is due in the country in 2026, the release said that along with the increase in population, the number of assembly constituencies will naturally increase while fate of the Meeteis remain uncertain in the next 20-30 years.
Therefore, it is imperative that the Meeteis get constitutional protection under the provisions of Scheduled Tribe as the community fulfils every the criteria for grant for ST status under the Indian Constitution.
Stating that conduct of the delimitation exercise in 2026 will further endanger existence of the Meeteis due to lesser number of representatives in the assembly consequently posing serious threat to the territorial integrity of Manipur, the council called upon chief minister N Biren to submit the ethnography and latest socio-economic report of the Meeteis to the centre before the Lok Sabha elections.