Taking advantage of the Tribals' Solidarity March in Churachandpur, Manipur, unknown miscreants suspected to be from Valley community torched Anglo-Kuki War Centenary Gate at Leisang Village, about 3 Km from Churachandpur Police Station, and henceforth a conflict situation between the two community escalates.
Several houses have been burnt down from the warring sides and the conflict spread like wild fire in the whole state of Manipur.
Atleast 17 persons have been injured and one in critical condition in Churachandpur District Hospital.
Tribals under the aegis of the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) had called for Tribals Solidarity March against the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe category across the hill areas of the State today, and the Peaceful Rally went successfully without any untoward incident.
However, after the Rally in Churachandpur, unknown miscreants fired Anglo-Kuki War Centenary Gate at Leisang Village, from which conflict started. Ironically, at the Gate of Anglo-Kuki War Centenary the valley based media persons were present but did not know who set fire the gate.
After the Rally, Memorandum was submitted to the President of India through the Deputy Commisioner of Churachandpur.
The Memorandum stated that various tribal people organisations had unequivocally expressed its stated position on the contested demand of the majority community as it posed serious threat to the land and existence of tribal people with the empirical reasoning that the Meitei/Meetei communities were an advanced community marked by 2000 years of civilization, unbroken lineage of kingship, superlative cultural advancement with its exquisite classical dances purportedly shown as the finest form of arts, Meitei (Manipuri) Language recognised under the Eight schedule of the Indian constitution, urban civilization for eons, participation and signing of international treaties with the British in 1762 AD and 1826 AD, academic advancement with high literacy rate.
The land of the tribal peoples in the hills of Manipur is protected by the constitutional provisions under Section 158 of MLR and LR Act 1960 (Parliamentary Act) under Art. 371C of Indian Constitution which stated that Tribal land cannot be transferred to Non-Tribal Individuals including Meiteis/Meeteis.
This Constitutional and legal protection given to the marginalized Tribal people of Manipur would become null and void if the advanced communities like Meitei/Meetei inhabiting the plain area of the state, constituting above 60% of the total population of the state were given ST Status in the state, it stated.
The memo also alleged that the demand for ST Status by the Meitei/Meetei, now 70 years after the Constitution of India made provision for Scheduled Tribes, was only a nefarious policy to exploit constitutional measures to grasp and dispossess the tribal people in the hills from their land.
The war-like situation continues till the filing of this report.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
