Reiterating their demand to include Meetei/Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, Manipur (STDCM) warned of intensifying their movement if the government fails to meet their demand.
As a part of the ongoing movement for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the ST list of India, STDCM organised a one-day people’s convention at Ima Khundok-Hanbi Sanglen, DM University Campus, Imphal West on Thursday.
Addressing media at the sidelines of the convention, general secretary of STDCM, K Bhogendrajit said that they have been demanding for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the ST list for almost a decade now but the state government has unfortunately failed to fulfill their demand. The irresponsible act of the state government is highly condemnable, he added.
He also said that though the chief minister of state, N Biren Singh, had expressed twice in connection with their demand and even discussed the same in the cabinet meeting, no action has been seen so far. The committee has gone beyond the limit to tolerate such delaying tactics of state government, he said.
Bhogendra said that they have been conducting sit-in protests for a few months at various places across the state and that the committee has been receiving support and solidarity from people and even youth organisations have also joined the movement.
Time may come when the youths of the state will no longer be able to resist their anger with their demand to include Meetei/Meitei in the ST list, he said and added that the state government should bear any kind of losses incurred by any unwanted incidents.
The public convention adopted as many as 6 resolutions. They are to continue the sit-in protests; to storm residences of ministers, MP, MLAs to submit memorandum; to launch Meira Rally in addition to sit-ins; to impose bandhs, general strikes based on time and situation; STDCM entrusted with responsibility to translate adopted resolutions into action and the people to unanimously support STDCM in translating the said resolutions into action.
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