MMTU too to shun polls
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 07 2024:
Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union will not take part in all elections until the Meitei/Meetei community is given Scheduled Tribe tag, said the union today.
At the office of the union at Wangkhei Khunou, its secretary (administration), Mutum Churamani said the decision to abstain from all elections in the country is part of its campaign "No ST, No Vote" .
Until the Government sends specific recommendations along with the latest socio-economic survey and ethnographic reports to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and Meitei/Meetei community is included in the ST list, MMTU will not take part in any election processes in India, he said.
Churamani said the "No ST, No Vote" campaign, besides demanding ST status, seeks to understand the stand of political parties on the issue.
So far, nine political parties including Independent candidates in fray for the Lok Sabha elections have given written consent to the demand for the ST status.
As presidents of some political parties are out of station, they have not yet given written consent.
The parties are likely to give their consent when the leaders return, he said.
The union has also sought a consent letter from the BJP, but has not yet received any response, he added.
The political parties which have not given consent letters will be made public for information, he said.
"While we are not participating in any elections, we have no authority to stop people from voting.
People should vote according to their choice.
However, the issue of ST demand should be considered when choosing candidates," he said.