IMPHAL: The Manipur high court has directed the state government to submit recommendations for inclusions of Meitei/Meetei in the scheduled tribes (ST) list.
The Manipur high court has directed the state government to submit recommendations regarding inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in ST list to the union ministry of tribal affairs.
The Manipur government has been asked by the high court to submit the recommendations with four (4) weeks.
Notably, inclusion of Meetei/Meitei community of Manipur in the ST list is one of the long standing demands of several civil society organisations in the state.
However, many tribal based CSOs, particularly student bodies like ATSUM, ANSAM and KSO had raised strong objections to the demand of inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in ST list.
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On April 17, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) had submitted a memorandum to the Outer Manipur MP Lorho S Pfoze, demanding the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST list.
“Meitei community which is an indigenous community of Manipur fulfils the criteria required to be included in the ST list. In order to save the Meitei from becoming a minority and living like a refugee in their own land, STDCM demanded the inclusion of Meitei in the ST list,” the STDCM stated.
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