GUWAHATI: Manipur is in the grip of a fresh row over the issue of scheduled tribe, this time it concerns demands of delisting of “Chin Kuki” from the ST list.
Violence erupted in the state on May 3 last year after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March' organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for inclusion in the ST list. The violence, which has largely scaled down now, saw over 180 people killed since.
The fresh row started with a representation to the union tribal affairs ministry by Maheshwar Thounaojam of the Republican Party of India (Athawale) demanding the removal of Kuki-Zos from the ST list.
On December 26 last year, the ministry forwarding Thounaojam’s representation to Manipur government stated, “As per modalities, only proposals recommended and justified by the state government concerned and agreed to by the RGI (Registrar General of India) as well as the NCST (National Commission for Schedule Tribes) for amendment of legislation. The recommendations of the concerned state government is pre-requisite to process the case further.”
A day after chief minister N Biren Singh said that an all-tribe
committee
would be formed to decide on whether the Chin Kuki community would remain on the ST list of the state, the Churchandpur-based tribal body of the state, Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on Wednesday said that the “Biren Singh administration has now opened a new front by pushing for the removal of the Kuki-Zo community from India’s
Scheduled Tribes
list.”
Singh on Tuesday said, “They were included in the (ST) list of Manipur but how they were included needs to be re-examined. Before making a comment, we have to form a committee consisting of all tribes (of the state).”
He added, “After getting the panel's recommendations, the state government will be able to send its view on the matter.”
The ITLF warned, “Any further attempts by Biren Singh to use the state machinery to target the Kuki-Zo community will only escalate the conflict, which will ultimately be detrimental to him (Biren Singh) and the state.”
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