Imphal: The World Meetei Council (WMC) has urged all political parties to clarify their stance on including the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list ahead of the 13th Manipur Legislative Assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference at Thangjing Hall of the Manipur Press Club on Friday, WMC Manipur Unit president Urikhingbam Kunjo called on the public to socially boycott and withhold their votes from any party that fails to take a concrete decision on the issue.
Manipur is likely to hold the 13th Manipur Legislative Assembly elections early next year, as the term of the 12th Assembly expires on March 13, 2027. The state has 60 Assembly seats.
Kunjo stated that including Meiteis in the ST category is imperative to safeguard the community and restore lasting peace in the state. He warned that, without constitutional protection, wealthy outsiders could buy up the limited land available in the valley, putting the demographic survival of the indigenous community at risk.
Speaking on the theme that conflict-affected Meiteis cannot afford to ignore the ST demand, he said the ongoing crises must not sideline this core issue. While acknowledging the efforts of civil society organisations (CSOs), Meira Paibis and local clubs in addressing current challenges, he maintained that securing ST status remains the only permanent solution.
Referring to the unrest that began on May 3, 2023, Kunjo alleged that the Kuki aggression was a machination of the Government of India.
He further claimed that the state government could have contained the violence on the first day if it had promptly imposed a curfew and deployed additional forces to Churachandpur.