Demand for ST categorisation of Meeteis/Meiteis WMC invites ATSUM to dialogue
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 24 2022: The World Meetei Council (WMC) has invited the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) to a dialogue on the issue of enlisting the Meitei/Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribe category under the Constitution of India.

ATSUM's opposition to the Meetei people's alleged devious demand to include themselves in the list of Scheduled Tribes of the Indian Constitution is not a new thing and the points of arguments they raised are the updated version of their earlier ones, according to a statement issued by the WMC.

However it may be pointed out that a series of debates on the same matter took place between ATSUM and Heikrujam Nabashyam, Chairman of WMC way back in October-November, 2017, in his personal capacity.

The debates were carried by "The Sangai Express" and also by news portals including E-pao.net, etc.

One can check out the debates by typing/googling "Know the Meetei","The threat to Balkanize Manipur" etc along with "Heikrujam Nabashyam", it said.

"Any sensible person would understand what was all that the ATSUM was talking about.

WMC also feel that the ATSUM was emboldened by a few Meetei intellectuals/leaders who, to protect their own world vision, spoke against Meetei ST demand.

They do help the ATSUM in creating an unhealthy social atmosphere to intimidate the Manipur Government to follow the wishes of ATSUM in this regard", read the statement.

It said that after Manipur became a part of India, Meetei cannot be rightful citizens in Manipur.

The WMC then asked, "Would any sensible person accept the fact that 91 per cent of your own State of Manipur is being kept away from the native Meetei people by the law of the land, and whereas people who came from Myanmar illegally few years back would become rightful citizens ?" .

Another point that one may easily understand including ATSUM is that more than 90 per cent of economy in the Imphal Bazar area - both movable and immovable assets, belong to business communities.

If the Meetei people are truly advanced as ATSUM repeatedly praise, the place that the business community occupy today should belong to the 'advanced' Meetei people, it said.

When people have not much choice they work hard to secure their life.

Meetei has not much choice-no resources of land etc, except the 45 odd square Kilometres of the valley area, which is home for everyone, unlike some other communities who have two/three countries, including Israel as their own homeland.

So quite a few Meetei students work hard and become good doctors who serve the people when they are sick without the distinction of tribes or religions etc, the WMC said.

It then asked why it should be an issue for ATSUM.

It also pointed out that Kukis occupy around 80 per cent of the top bureaucracy of Manipur and top brass of Manipur Police.

Should it not be an issue for the ATSUM ?, the WMC asked.

It seems ATSUM has lost its good sense.

Meetei, according to 'our mythology' are 'Salai Taret' or seven clans or seven big families born by a single Godhead Ebudhou Pakhangba though they are cut into two pieces by the Indian Constitution into Meetei general and Meetei Scheduled Caste.

This is a great injustice done to the Meetei, it continued.

"If we are advanced people we would have opposed it.

Now it should be corrected.

All Meetei should be one - no OBC, no SC, only Scheduled Tribe.

No question about it.

Finally therefore to make everything clear, WMC invites ATSUM to a dialogue to find a logical conclusion to the issues they have raised", it said.

The WMC added that it is ready to sit across the table at the venue and time of the choice of ATSUM.

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