STDCM set to resume ST campaign
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 31 2023:
The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) has resolved to resume its movement which seeks to add Meetei/Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of the Constitution from the first week of January 2024 .
In a statement, the STDCM said that they will meet the Ministers and MLAs who endorse its movement again and persuade them to send recom- mendations so that the Centre can verify whether Meetei/Meitei can be enlisted in the ST list.
Saying that they have already met 34 MLAs during its campaign of meeting legislators carried out from October 18, 2022 to January 1, 2023 and all of them (the MLAs) conveyed their endorsement to the demand, the committee continued that the campaign was carried out with WMC, KKL, SKL, local clubs, Meira Paibi Lups etc.
The STDCM stated that they also submitted a memorandum to Outer MP Dr Lorho S Pfoze on April 16, 2023 and also the four Cabinet Ministers from the hill districts later on to support the ST demand of Meetei/Meitei.
The campaign was suspended after the violence broke out on May 3 .
Reminding that the recent mass missed call cam- paign done from November 20 to December 30 got support from about nine lakh individuals, the STDCM said that they will also start meeting Ministers and MLAs who endorse the same demand from the first week of January 2024 again and ask them to persuade the Chief Minister to send the recommendations.