Manipur: Meitei group to move Supreme Court over Kuki-Zo ST status
Imphal: The Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU) has announced plans to file a petition with the Supreme Court seeking the removal of the Kuki-Zo communities of Manipur from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.
In a statement, the MMTU alleged that the Kuki-Zo communities, who migrated from Myanmar, unlawfully settled in Manipur and were erroneously granted ST status.
The union argued that this violates the Constitution of India, as foreigners from Myanmar are being included in the electoral roll and granted ST status.
Furthermore, the MMTU accused the Government of India of openly violating the Foreigners' Act 1948 in Manipur and implementing covert and overt policies aimed at annihilating indigenous communities.
The union cited historical documents as evidence, pointing out that Kuki refugees who arrived in Manipur before 1973 repeatedly sought financial packages for relief and rehabilitation from the State Government.
The MMTU asserted that the Kuki-Zo communities were wrongly included in the ST list in 1950. The term "Kuki-Zo" was subsequently changed to "any Kuki-Zo tribe" in 1956, which allegedly facilitated a significant influx of Kuki-Zo immigrants from Myanmar.
The union highlighted that in certain Indian states, communities who were mistakenly included in the ST list have been removed.
However, in Manipur, the influx of illegal immigrants continues unabated, and these communities are now allegedly engaged in a conflict against indigenous communities, aiming to disintegrate Manipur and seize a substantial portion of the state's territory.