Manipur high court directs state government to submit recommendations for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in ST list

IT News
Imphal, Apr 19:

The Manipur high court has directed the state government to submit recommendations for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the scheduled tribes (ST) list.
The Manipur high court has directed the state government to submit recommendations regarding the inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in ST list to the union ministry of tribal affairs.
Notably, the 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 for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in ST list.
On April 17, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) 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 fulfills 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.