A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Manipur High Court order in relation to the Scheduled Tribe status for the Meitei community as a tribe of the state.
The petition filed by the Chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, Dinganglung Gangmei, said that the Meitei community is not a tribe and has never been recognized as such. The petition further stated that the order directing the state government to recommend a tribe for the Scheduled Tribes List falls solely within the jurisdiction of the State, and not the High Court.
On March 27, the High Court directed the State to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list. The appeal filed against the High Court order stated that the order is entirely illegal and ought to be quashed. The appeal also sought a stay on the High Court's order.
Violence broke out on May 3 during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ that had been called by All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) Torbung area of Churachandpur district to protest the demand of non-tribal Meiteis, who are dominant in the Imphal Valley, for Scheduled Tribe (SC) status. Agitators in thousands took to the streets to protest when violence between tribals and non-tribals was reported in Torbung area, a senior police officer informed.
Meanwhile, the efforts of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles columns have brought a ray of hope to the violence-torn Churachandpur region. The joint forces have been working tirelessly for the past 96 hours to rescue civilians across all communities, curb violence and restore normalcy in the area. It is due to their dedicated efforts, no major violence has been reported at present. As a result, the curfew has been relaxed from 7-10 am on Sunday in Churachandpur, followed by a flag march by Security Forces immediately thereafter.
