All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has submitted a memorandum to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey today while giving detailed reasons why Meeteis/Meiteis should not be given the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
In the memorandum the Naga student body said that, in the backdrop of the STDCM gaining momentum in the valley for enlisting the Meeteis/Meiteis in the scheduled tribe list of India, the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM), an umbrella association of the Naga students and youths in the state of Manipur, “feels pertinent to articulate in good faith, its stance that this demand of the dominant community presently imperils the aim of constitution i.e. to promote, protect and special care for a weaker section and thus steadfastly stand our ground against enlisting in the Scheduled Tribe list of India for myriad of reasons.
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One reason ANSAM mentions is on the “reversal of social strata”. ANSAM said it does not refute tribal roots of any community big or small due to the fact that even the most civilised community and race of the world today viz, the Greeks, the Romans, the Aryans etc. had tribal roots. In the case of the Meetei/Meiteis, too, they must have all the characteristic of a tribal trait in the process of evolution but having undergone several phases of civilisation for over a period of 2000 years dating back from 33 AD, they have superseded all tribal traits to be categorised in the list of the scheduled tribe, ANSAM also said. It stated that, claiming tribal roots in the twenty first century is ill-conceived and ill-timed demand because it is a moment of reversal of social strata, descending from civilised to uncivilised, urban to rural, literate to illiterate, light to darkness, forward to backward with an ulterior motive to further suppress and exploit the regressed tribal society.
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Another reason is about the “suppression of the criteria” laid down by the Government of India. “Truly articulated by the valley brethren that any community has the right to demand for inclusion in the ST list as per the provision enshrined in Article 342(1) and 342(2) of the Indian constitution and no organisation has the locus standi to decide one’s status provided the criteria laid down for determining ST status is fulfilled”, the Naga student body memorandum stated. As however, in the case of the Meetei/Meitei community for inclusion in the ST list, it is crystal clear that the criteria presently laid down for specification of a community as scheduled tribe do not match in any manner since they have superseded all the characteristic of a tribe, it also said. “Scheduled tribes are spread across the country mainly in the forest and hilly regions who are segregated from the rest of the world socially and economically. Thus, in the context of India, schedule tribe means the selected tribes for protective discrimination validated for 10 years only after the promulgation of the constitution of India but since the scheduled groups couldn’t come up at par with the rest of the advanced society/community in every sphere of lives, protective discrimination continues even after a lapse of seventy five years of Independence,” the ANSAM memorandum added.
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The third reason is the “debatable homogeneity”. A case study with special reference to the Meetei/Meitei community of Manipur for inclusion in the ST list is quite debatable on the question of homogeneity of such ethnic group after centuries of ethnic mixing in the course of civilisation with various ethnic groups at different point of time, specially with Burmese and their ethnicities who came in the course of several wars and demographic movement down the line and with sizeable proportion of people from Bengal, Assam and Bihar who were merged into the mainstream ethnic fabric of Imphal valley by ties of inter marriage and cultural assimilation after the emergence of Shanti Das Gosai, a hindu preacher from sylhet during the reign of Garib Niwas in1728 AD, ANSAM pointed out. Thus, given to understand the above background, it is quite empirical to wonder or question as to whether the most advanced Meetei/Meitei group as a whole would even qualify to be a homogenous society leaving aside qualifying the definition of a tribe, it further said.
The fourth reason is about the classification of social strata in Meetei/Meitei. The Naga student said that classification of social strata in Meetei/Meitei community viz, General, Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Caste (SC) and the social fabric woven underneath its strata will be impossible dissect or segregate.
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Another reason is based on the characteristic of advancement. NER District Development Infrastructure index 2009 shows that Imphal West ranked number 1 in the NE states, Imphal East ranked no. 6, Thoubal – 11, Ukhrul – 68, Tamenglong -75, Churachandpur – 76 and Chandel – 78 respectively, ANSAM pointed out. “As against the characteristics of a tribe/tribal, the Meeteis/Meiteis have the following indication of advancement stated as follows:- i. Unlike the hill areas of Mnaipur, the habitation of valley is well connected by 3 National highways, one (1) Asian highways, one (1) international airport(Tulihal) and railway line. ii. The Meeteis/Meiteis have a rich cultural heritage and a well developed sense of hygiene. iii. They have a well developed script/Meitei mayek and is in the 8th Scheduled of the Indian constituion. iv. The Meitei classical dances and music are of unparalleled finesse in the classical world. The Manipuri dance, referred to as the Manipuri Raas Leela is one of the eight major Indian classical dance forms originated and performed only by the Meiteis surpassing many well placed Indian states,” the Naga student body also said.
In terms of shyness of contact with community at large, it is just the reverse with a significant diaspora within and outside the country, the Naga student body also said. Unlike the tribal whose occupation are mostly hunting animals, trapping birds and stone carving, the Meeteis/Meiteis are well represented in service sector viz UPSC, MPSC,RBI,SBI, academician and professional sector like medical, engineering, sports etc., it also said. In the Legislative Assembly that has 60 seats, they are represented by 40 seats in an area just 10% out of the geographical expanse of 22,327 sq km having 90% of the hill areas with 19 +1 representation, ANSAM mentioned. According to ANSAM, the Meiteis have all the amenities of a civilised world with all the mega projects concentrated in the valley. To cite a few, Manipur University, DM University, National Sports University, Manipur University of culture, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences(RIMS), JNIMS, NIT, CAU, NIELIT, Manipur Technical University, JN Manipur Dance Academy, CIPET, ICAR, SAI, ITP and B.Ed Centres etc are all in the valley.
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ANSAM then said the literacy rate being as high as 76-87 %, they are well represented in govt/public and private sector, political Institutions from local bodies to parliament. x. Revered as the powerhouse of sports in India, Manipur is studded with Olympians and star sportspersons shining bright on India’ Map for being at the forefront of producing world class champions in boxing, weightlifting, judo, archery, Hockey etc. all belonging to the Meitei community except for MC Mary Kom. “Interestingly, Manipur is the birthplace of Polo known to Meiteis as Sagol Kangjei, an egalitarian game of the Meitei family owning a pony – a position even well developed nations find it hard to achieve. xi. Similar to the Georgian Calendar, the Meiteis had not only invented the lunar calendar but also claimed that the concept of Era had been claimed to be well developed in the Kingdom of Kangleipak( Erstwhile name of Meitei kingdom) during the reign of Maliyapham Palcha in 1397 BC, the Naga student also said. Unlike other Indian states, the tribals of Mnaipur are neither safeguarded by the sixth scheduled nor is administered within what the constitution calls “Tribal Areas” of the Fifth Scheduled. We are merely governed under Article 371(C) which has become redundant due to non implementation of the “Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business”, ANSAM further added.
“We, therefore, beg to place our unequivocal and shared opinion of the association before your honourable self – Justifying grounds of opposition against the campaign of the STDCM for inclusion of the advanced community in the ST list of India,” the Naga student added.
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