WMC highlights common Meetei identity
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 18 2025: The World Meetei Council (WMC), Manipur Unit has called upon all the Meitei people to show to the whole world that Meitei people are homogenous and there is no difference among them.

The WMC Manipur Unit held a press meet at Manipur Press Club here today on the theme "Caste Census 2027 and Meetei Yelhoumi as Meetei Identity" .

Speaking at the press meet, WMC Manipur Unit president Urikhinbam Kunjo said that the Meetei should be identified as Yelhoumi Meetei or indigenous Meetei or Adivasi Meetei.

Saying that a caste census would be carried out all over India in 2017, Kunjo asserted that this is a perfect opportunity for the fragmented Meitei people to come together.

As the first step towards unification of Meetei people, the WMC has already submitted representations to the Directorate of Census, Government of Manipur and the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India to take up appropriate measures.

Throughout history, Meetei people who have a well defined Yek-Salai system lived as a single community and there was no differentiation or discrimination among the Meetei people.

The differentiation seen today in the forms of Brahmin, Kshetriya and Loi came into being only in the 18th century after king Pamheiba (Garibniwas) adopted Vaishnavism/Hinduism.

This differentiation was a crude copy of the Hindu caste system where the society is divided into Brahmin, Kshetriya, Veishya and Sudra, Kunjo said.

Adoption of the Hindu caste system not only fragmented the Meetei people but also created a sense of alienation to a large section of the hill people who have been living together with the Meetei since ancient times, he said.

It's time to show the whole world that the Meetei people constitute a single community and there is no division within the community.

The caste census scheduled in 2017 is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the oneness of the Meetei community, Kunjo asserted.

Other communities will clearly define their identities in the caste census.

Likewise, Meetei too should articulate and adopt a common term for Meetei identity like Y elhoumi Meetei or indigenous Meetei or Adivasi Meetei instead of using separate terms such as Brahmin, Kshetriya or Loi, he said.

He also appealed to all intellectuals, scholars, CSOs, NGOs and student organisations to share their ideas on the matter.

Earlier, a WMC team led by its chairman Heigrujam Nabashyam met the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, and submitted a memorandum on the same matter.

However, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India told the WMC team that if Meeteis should be identified as Yelhoumi Meetei in the caste census, the Director of Census, Government of Manipur must first send a proposal towards this end.

Subsequently, a memorandum was submitted to the Director of Census, Kunjo said.

He then urged the Director of Census to translate the points highlighted in the memorandum into action.

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