The World Meetei Council (WMC), Assam Unit, on Thursday reiterated its concerns regarding the future of the Meetei community residing in Hojai, Assam.
In a letter to Chief Minister N Biren Singh, written by WMC Assam Unit president Th Brajamohan; WMC Hojai District Committee president, T Naba Kumar Singha and WMC Assam Unit joint secretary, Taorem Manihar, the Council asserted that the ST Status for Assam’s Meeteis depends on the Manipur government.
The WMC Assam Unit has been advocating for ST status in Assam for a considerable time, predating similar demands from Meeteis in Manipur, so as to protect the identity of the Meeteis in Assam from being decimated in the huge society of 3.3 crore population of Assam, it asserted.
It maintained that the Assam government had also made it clear that the recommendation for ST status for the Meeteis in Assam is contingent upon the recognition of the Meeteis of Manipur as Scheduled Tribes.
It noted that several key communities in Assam are on the verge of being included in the ST list. It emphasized that the Meeteis living outside Manipur face serious economic and political challenges in absence of elected representatives.
It pointed out the impending delimitation of constituencies in 2026, and added that the same could adversely affect the representation of Meeteis in Manipur, given the declining population.
It earnestly appealed to the chief minister to do the needful to include the Meeteis of Manipur in the ST list before the upcoming 2026 delimitation so that the inclusion of Meeteis in Assam may be realised as well.
