The Schedule Tribe Demand Committee, Manipur (STDCM) on Saturday staged a sit-in protest at Kongba Market, Imphal East, demanding that the ‘scheduled tribe’ status be given to Meitei/Meeitei community.
On the sidelines of the protest, STDCM secretary Irom Rajen cautioned the state government not to invite intensified agitations, but rather consider the demand as legitimate and fulfill it immediately.
He told the media that the committee had been continuing the movement for decades. “Demand of the committee is legitimate and the government should consider it seriously,” he asserted.
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The committee has been continuing the movement for a legitimate demand in a democratic way by considering that causing chaos to the system will not bring any good results to society, he said.
However, if the government turns deaf ears against the demand of the committee, then intensified forms of agitation which will cause destructions to the system can be launched, he cautioned.
The committee will be continuing the movement by holding several forms of protest at market places until the demand is fulfilled, he mentioned.
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Rajen further appealed to the state government to take necessary steps at the earliest before intensified form of agitations are launched.
Meanwhile, Kongba Keithel Board president Moirangthem Dayayenti told the media that the market vendors of Kongba Keithel condemn the government for remaining silent instead of considering the demand.
The government should take necessary steps by understanding the struggles of the public regarding the demand.
She said Kongba Keithel Board will be extending support to any form of agitations carried out by STDCM in the near future.
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