Manipur CM says govt trying for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in ST list

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh Monday told the state Assembly that the demand for the inclusion of the ethnic Meitei/Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list was reasonable. Terming the demand as reasonable, Singh said the state government was taking necessary steps in this regard.

He said microscopic population of the indigenous people of the state is under threat and the ST demand seeks to provide Constitutional safeguard for the indigenous people, a press release issued by Department of Information and Public Relations said. Responding to the Calling Attention moved by opposition member K Meghachandra Singh, on the last day of the Assembly Session, Singh said the momentum for the ST demand began during the term of the previous government.

He said the Manipur State Commission for the Schedule Tribe Act, 2014 was notified in the State Gazette on March 27, 2014. On August 8, 2016, the Manipur State Commission for Scheduled Tribes was constituted for examining the ST demand with RS Golmei as the chairman of the committee.

He informed the House that the state Home department has communicated to the Anthropological Survey of India to depute or nominate experts for inclusion in the Committee to conduct the Socio Economic and Ethnographic survey. Singh said the National Commission of Schedule Tribes on July 6, 2018 sought report on action taken regarding the socio economic and ethnographic survey from the state government for the procedure to include Meitei/Meetei in the ST list.

He said the government in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Tribal Affairs is taking up the matter positively. A mass protest rally was organised here by Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee (STDC) on Sunday demanding Scheduled Tribe status for ethnic Meitei community in Manipur.

(With inputs from agencies.)