Campaign for Meitei ST status and action against illegal immigrants held

The Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU), in collaboration with Arambai Tengol, Village Volunteers, and UFO, organized a campaign at Top Awang Leikai under the initiative of the Eastern Sporting Association. The programme was part of the ongoing movement demanding the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list under the Constitution of India and pressing for the identification and eviction of illegal immigrants before the 2026 nationwide census.
Speakers at the gathering raised concerns about large-scale infiltration of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar, stressing its adverse impact on the indigenous population of the region. The campaign also deliberated on why the Meitei community has been denied constitutional protection through Scheduled Tribe status despite long-standing demands.
The organisers reiterated their stand that inclusion in the ST list is essential for safeguarding the identity, rights, and future of the Meitei people. The meeting concluded with a collective resolve to intensify the movement until the community’s demand is fulfilled.
Those present at the campaign included Mutum Churamani Meitei, Secretary (Administration) of MMTU, Retired Colonel Shanti Kumar Sapam, and other prominent figures.