STDCM, WMC censure call for opinion poll
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 21 2022: The State Government's call for an opinion poll on the demand of Scheduled Tribe status for Meitei/Meetei community has drawn sharp criticisms from the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur and the World Meetei Council saying such a poll has no merit at all.

The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) has written to the Director, Economics and Statistics to scrap the opinion poll bid while the World Meetei Council (WMC) in a statement has appealed to Chief Minister N Biren Singh to review any decision to hold the poll.

Such a poll has the ingredients of sparking protests and flare up the situation, they said.

The World Meetei Council (WMC), in a statement issued to the media today by it secretary general Yambem Arun Meetei said it was shocked to come across the Government's call for taking a vote on the demand to include Meetei/Meitei in the list of Scheduled Tribes of the Indian Constitution.

Whether a community should be included in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list or not is to be decided by the merits of the demand and not by any opinion poll, it said.

"The fact of the matter to include a group of people into the list of Scheduled Tribes or not is to be decided by 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 in making the demand for enlistment of Meetei/Meitei in the ST category a subject of taking votes or opinions, it said.

The latest Census data shows that Meetei/Meitei population has been reduced to around 44 percent of the total population of Manipur from earlier 61 percent approximately, as recorded in the 1971 Census on which the delimitation of the present Assembly seats were based upon like other States of the country, WMC said hinting that the community needs constitutional protection by making it a Scheduled Tribe.

While questioning the intention of the Government for taking up such a step, the World Meetei Council contended that the opinion poll and the results will only send out an extremely wrong message and create rm-wanted situations.

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.

Such a poll is not practical given the number of Meetei/Meitei people with smartphones comprising less than 25 per cent of its total population and even fewer per cent having email-ID.

WMC appealed to the Chief Minister to review the call for the opinion poll and also take necessary action against "responsible officials who had made dubious attempts to confuse the public in the name of celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav".

On the other hand, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM), which has been spearheading the ST demand for the Meitei/Meetei community, has asked the Director, Economics and Statistics to scrap the bid to hold the opinion poll.

According to a letter submitted to the Economics and Statistics, Director by the STDCM, the department had issued an office notice dated November 18 regarding an opinion poll on the demand for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST list under the Indian Constitution.

STDCM is extremely concerned with the opinion poll being initiated by the office, and moreover such an opinion poll on the ST demand may generate a highly disputable, indecisive, deceptive and misleading result.

The intended exercise doesn't 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.

Such a highly disputable result and misinformation may spark off protests from the supporters of the demand, or invite complement from the 'opponents' .

Such a situation can flare up unwanted but avoidable tension and confusion, STDCM said.

It appealed to the Government and the Director of the Economics and Statistics to withdraw the steps taken up to conduct the opinion poll.

It may be noted that the STDCM along with several organisations have been demanding inclusion of Meitei Meetei in the ST list of the Indian Constitution for more than 10 years.

While the demand has gained momentum with many MLAs and Ministers coming out in their support, the Government of Manipur has not yet taken a concrete decision on the issue.

However, Chief Minister N Biren Singh had earlier said- the Government has never sidelined the demand of the STDCM.

Notably, the State Government has not yet sent a recommendation sought by the Centre to consider the demand for inclusion of Meitei Meetei in the list of the Scheduled Tribes.

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