The Meetei Tribe Union (MMTU) announced on Thursday the initiation of a nationwide campaign starting September 12, aimed at advocating for the inclusion of the Meitei/Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list under the Indian Constitution.
The campaign will be spearheaded by a 10-person team from Manipur, which will engage with political, social, and spiritual leaders to seek support for the inclusion movement.
MMTU Secretary Mutum Churamani, addressing the media at the Manipur Press Club, emphasized that the community has been pursuing this demand for the past 12 years, citing a lack of attention from the state government. He expressed concerns that continued exclusion could lead to significant marginalization in political, economic, social, and land ownership areas by 2050.
Churamani urged political leaders to thoroughly evaluate the issue and take a definitive stance, noting that the matter currently lacks adequate political awareness.
He also compared the Meitei community’s situation with that of Kuki immigrants, who, despite a weaker historical basis, were granted ST status in the 1960s and are now benefiting from it, leading to perceived disparities among tribal groups.
The MMTU’s previous mass miss call campaign garnered substantial public support. The union stated that all preparations for the upcoming nationwide campaign are complete and will include PowerPoint presentations to engage support from individuals outside the community.
