Now Reading: Meitei NGOs Exploiting Tribal Development Funds: ITLF
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Meitei NGOs Exploiting Tribal Development Funds: ITLF
Meitei NGOs Exploiting Tribal Development Funds: ITLF
Imphal: Amidst the going unrest over five months now in Manipur owing to the ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zo, a tribal community and the non-tribal Meitei/Meetei community, a purportedly leaked letter from the State chief minister to the Centre requesting for developmental funds meant for the tribal areas in Manipur hills went viral on WhatsApp on Friday.
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Against the purportedly leaked letter to the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munde by N Biren Singh, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, a conglomerate of recognised tribes of Kuki-Zomi-Hmar-Mizo ethnic tribes of outer Manipur, India [as per their Twitter bio] today sharply criticized that the “Meitei NGOs, conveniently based in Imphal, are exploiting the tribal community as a means to secure project funds from the Centre which the State Govt can/will later use it for their own dubious purpose.”
The tweet by ITLF titled “”Unmasking Deceit: Meitei NGOs Exploiting Tribal Development Funds,” went further and accused the Meitei community that “Among other sinister reasons, by demanding the ST quota, the Meiteis aim to capitalize on the financial benefits associated with this category despite their existing protection under the SC and OBC classifications.””
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What’s in the letter?
N Biren Singh in the letter stated that there are tribal inhabitants in all the 16 districts of Manipur constituting a major part of the population is the state. He further stated that empowerment of tribal communities in Manipur, therefore, has a significant impact on accelerating the overall socio-economic development trajectory of Manipur.
Towards this objective, in the letter dated May 12, 2023, Manipur Khadi and Village Industries Board [in Lamphelpat, Imphal], a statutory body established under the Manipur Khadi and Village Industries Board Act, 1966, had prepared a Detailed Project Report consisting of six NGOs of Manipur for ‘Integrated Empowerment of Schedule Tribe Communities in Manipur’ for submission of the same through the state department of tribal affairs. The letter stated that the NGOs “has been working in the far flung Tribal districts/ areas of Manipur.
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Why the letter is raising eyebrows?
However, as per the letter issued by Manipur Khadi and Village Industries Board vice chairman, Wahengbam Dineshchandra Singh, none of the six NGOs recommended for different projects meant for the tribal populace are either owned by tribal people nor based in hill districts inhabited by the tribal community. The letter submitted to the Union Minister for the tribal projects amounts to over Rs 3 crore.
Among the six projects submitted to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, four of them are for mobile dispensary while the other two are for livelihood project.
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The six NGOs recommended for the projects include:
EEHUL Foundation, Konthoujam Awang Leikai in Imphal West; Empowerment of culture and rural development, Pishumthong Ningom Leirak in Imphal West; Rural community development center, Pourabi in Imphal East; Sustainable Center for development and culture, Konjeng Leikai in Imphal West; Naharol development foundation, Thangmeiband Meisnam Leikai in Imphal West and Center for research on culture and rural empowerment.
In the letter dated October 23, 2023, the chief minister further urged the Union minister to favourably consider the proposal for promotion of sustainable employment and creating self-reliance amongst tribal communities in Manipur.
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T P Meitei
It is just propaganda of Kuki Inpi under the name of ITLF. Many NGOs in India in metro cities are operating in tribal and backward areas. Any outside NGOs can do social work for Manipur also.
T P Meitei
ITLF and Kuki Inpi should not play communal politics. You should ask how much the said NGOs have done in the remote tribal areas and give details of their balance sheets. You should audit the balance sheets if you are genuinely committed for development. Don’t play victim card in the name of tribal. We are also demanding the same facility of tribal. Moreover, you people are not indigenous peoples of Manipur. You don’t deserve ST status.
Bikash Lourembam
Dont post nonsense like these without thorough research
Anger Angel
Cry babies Will always cry… instead of crying and complaining work hard, apply for Upsc, IAS and get the job done. Living comfortably inside hills & jungles won’t serve you at your wish. Get out and see the world. Not a single state is getting benefits and recognition as ST like you guys are getting from Manipur. So stop cutting trees for living and getting involved in illegal activities for easy money. Instead come out and compete in national level. Only then all of you will understand the real problem.
Tom
It’s hilarious that this kuki NGO called ITLF is blatantly lying and accusing the corruption acts as meitei NGOs misusing Tribal funds. The NGOs are NGOs and there is no meitei tag associated with it. As far as the members of these so called NGOs are concerned one would find its members are composed of both meiteis and tribals. There is corruption everywhere in India and there is no doubt but the funny thing about these so called tribals inspite of themselves being part of the corrupt members will charge meiteis as the only culprit. Even in the govt there are both tribal and non-tribal MLAs who are all engaged in corruption but these so called tribal NGOs will try to project as the meitei govt or meiteis who are engaged in corruption as if their tribal MLAs are saints who are not involved in these nefarious activities. These miniscule intellect people tries to ignore the fact that for any tribal welfare scheme or fund there has to be a tribal representative and tribal members without which no govt can pass such sanctions for the tribals. It’s like claiming this moronic ideology that since the Indian PM is a Gujarati then the central govt is a Gujarati govt. People should behave like educated but sadly some educated people for some personal gains try to ignore real facts.
Kam guite
Meiteis who are determined to annihilate kuki-zos will do welfare works for them through their NGOs is rather unbelievable.
Long live humanity
Tribals are not synonymous with illegal immigrant Kukis. Get ur knowledge updated my dear immigrant. There is nothing called Meitei NGOs. While ur NGOs are sleeping with funds, thank those NGOs which have done some development work for u if u wanna stay in old age, u r most welcome.
Anothercocky
Meiteis working for tribal welfare. While kukis chasing away manipur tribal from their own land.