WMC continues with ST campaign
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 30 2024: The World Meetei Council (WMC) has said that not granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to Meeteis poses a threat to the Meeteis residing in Assam too.

WMC, in a statement, said that communities such as Ahom in Assam are at the last stage of getting ST status and Meeteis in the neighbouring State will become very weak if they are left without any Constitutional safeguard.

Notably, the WMC has been submitting a press note almost everyday to send the recommendation to add Meetei in the ST list since the last few weeks but there is no sign of the Government taking the matter seriously.

The Assam Government agreed to recommend ST status for the Meetei people living in the neighbouring State once the Meetei people in Manipur are added in the ST list, the WMC claimed.

Saying that the land and political space of the Meetei people will be protected once the ethnic group gets the ST tag apart from boosting 'our economy', the Council continued that the Meeteis will get many facilities in education and other areas if enlisted in the ST list of the Constitution.

Expressing concern over many youth deciding not to get married due to the hike in the expenditure of living and children education, the WMC cautioned that the total fertility rate (TFR) of the Meetei people stands at 1.77 and it is alarming.

Giving Meetei the ST status would also be beneficial to salaried persons as they longer would need to pay hefty Income Tax, it said.

Granting ST tag to the Meeteis will encourage the young people to settle and ultimately increase the fertility rate of the ethnic group, the WMC said and asked the State Government to take the ST issue more seriously than implementation of NRC, ILPS and border fencing.

Only granting ST tag can safeguard the Meeteis, it added.

Meanwhile, the WMC carried out its regular campaign at Elangkhangpokpi in Kakching and demanded inclusion of Meeteis in the ST list.

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