Right narrative spelt out to Left leaders
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 19 2023: The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) has once again made it clear that ST demand issue is not related to the present ethnic crisis to the visiting delegation of CPI (M) .

A 6-member team of STDCM functionaries led by president Dhiraj Yumnam today called on the delegation of CPI (M), who are on a three day visit to crisis hit Manipur at Hotel Classic Grande and discussed the prevailing situation in depth, said a statement of STDCM.

A memorandum was also submitted to the delegation which comprises Central committee members of CPI (M), Sitaram Yechury, Jitendra Chaudhury and Suprakash Talukdar besides State unit secretary, Ksh Shanta, it said.

During the meeting, the STDCM members made it clear that the ethnic clash was neither caused by the High Court order issued in connection with a decade long pending recommendation nor a tribal versus non tribal, Hindu versus Christian, minority versus majority communities, it said.

Some political parties which had visited the State had tried to give a religious colour to the issue or made it a minority versus majority communities issue.

But the conflict is actually between the unscheduled Meitei/Meetei tribe vs ST Kuki groups, it said.

The STDCM team also highlighted that there are many other Scheduled Tribes who are not part of the clash and unaffected Christians, it said.

The STDCM also expressed regret over giving the prevailing issue an impression of tribal vs non tribal issue in a memorandum submitted to the President of India by a delegation of CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat and All India Democratic Women's Association who visited the State recently, it said.

The committee members had briefed the visitors that the prevailing issue is an outcome of Government's move to evict encroachers from the Reserved Forest areas, crackdown on drug business and massive poppy cultivation, steps taken up the detect illegal immigrants, bid to implement National Register of Citizens and suspected step by step approach from a community to realise a Kuki State, it said.

The committee functionaries had also urged the visiting delegation to help press the Central leaders for the restoration of peace and normalcy in the State and extend all possible help to let Meiteis/Meeteis get ST status.

General secretary of CPI (M) Sitaram Yechury had also positively responded to help early restoration of peace in the State and to consider possible help towards the ST demand movement, it said.

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