Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur renewed its push for Scheduled Tribe status for the Meitei community this Sunday. The group met at the Youth Hostel in the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, Imphal, to mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The event focused on the fate of the indigenous Meitei people.
Meiteis account for 53 per cent of the state population, primarily living in the Imphal Valley. The committee emphasized that the community holds a history spanning over 2,000 years. General Secretary K. Bhogendrajit claimed the Meiteis held tribal identity before the 1949 merger with the Indian Union. He told the gathering, "The Meiteis are the only indigenous community in Manipur that has not been accorded ST status."
The STDCM argues this classification is necessary to save ancestral land, language, and cultural roots. Committee members including Chief Patron Moirangthem Naodalenkhomba, Working President Lt. Col. Lokendra, and advisors like Professor Huidrom Jayantakumar and Dr. Thounaojam Ratankumar attended the meeting. Former RIMS Superintendent Dr. Yanglem Mohen and Assistant Professor Dr. Sapam Dilip were also present.
The state faces major security and humanitarian hurdles. The committee insisted that restoring order is the top priority. They plan to pursue constitutional recognition through peaceful and democratic channels moving forward.
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