Imphal: In a significant development, Maheshwar Thounaojam, National Secretary of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), has urged Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda to include the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list of India.
Thounaojam, a young politician from Manipur, met Munda in New Delhi on Tuesday and presented a memorandum outlining the Meiteis’ case for inclusion.
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The community, historically considered descendants of Manipur’s aboriginal tribes is classified as general/unreserved.
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“The ‘Meetei/Meitei’ have every right to be considered for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes List of Manipur,” the memorandum states, emphasizing their indigenous origins.
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Thounaojam also raised concerns regarding the Kuki refugee community’s current status as a Scheduled Tribe in Manipur.
He cited a 2011 Supreme Court judgement stating that all Scheduled Tribes must be original inhabitants of India.
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Based on this, in the memorandum, he added that the Kukis, who migrated to Manipur from elsewhere, should be removed from the ST list.
“The Kukis including Zomis of Manipur are not qualified for being Scheduled Tribes of Manipur on the ground that they are not original inhabitants of Manipur,” the memorandum reads, urging Munda to reconsider their inclusion.