Express News Service
IMPHAL: Athouba, the spokesman for the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, says the Meiteis have a sense of anxiety and insecurity over issues including drug trafficking and protection of their land. He said the community believes an ST status would give protection to their land.
“The Meiteis have been at the forefront to protect Manipur’s sovereignty before its merger with the Indian Union. They fought many battles, including with the British. The tribals also contributed, but the responsibility was largely taken up by the Meiteis” he said. “Manipur is divided in the name of ethnicity. The British applied this formula because for them, it was a colonial legacy. But we now live in democratic India. Why should Parliament follow the colonial remnants or policies?” he asked. A government source said poppy plantation is a lucrative business but the government has waged a war against drugs.
Illegal immigrants
“The government is committed to protecting the forests. A number of illegal immigrants from Myanmar have been caught without proper documents. Manipur was turning into a field for illegal immigrants. If the refugees from Myanmar were in one corner, it would not have been an issue, but they kept building new villages and tried to make their settlements legitimate. There is an exponential growth in the population,” said a source.
Dr Thongkholal Haokip, assistant professor, at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, said there is a lot of discontent in the hills about how the state government is treating the tribals. “The government is reluctant, but the Constitution’s Sixth schedule status has to be given to the tribal autonomous district councils. There is a kind of demonization going on. The hill people are targeted on the charge that they cultivate poppy,” Haokip said.
He said the demand by the All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM) was to thwart the process of inclusion of the Meiteis in the ST list. He said simmering tension preceded the recent violence when the Kukis were being branded as poppy cultivators.
Kukis being targeted
“If you go to the hills, you won’t find poppy cultivation. People have stopped growing poppy but the entire community is still being demonised. The government is strategically targeting the Kukis,” Haokip said.
On the alleged illegal migration of Kukis from Myanmar, Haokip said there could be illegal immigrants in the border areas because of political unrest in Myanmar but these people would go back when normalcy is restored in the neighbouring country.
“But why do you paint the entire Kuki community as illegal immigrants?” he asked. Not all Meiteis endorse the demand for the ST status and reservation.
‘Missteps’ & fearsPriyoranjan Chongtham, a retired professor of Manipur University, said the Meitei movement initially was for the reservation in jobs and then it shifted to the demand for the Inner Line Permit or ILP, a travel document which regulates the entry and stay of outsiders in the state. He said when the Centre granted ILP to Manipur, the movement was about ST status.
“There was then a feeling that if the Meiteis get the ST status, they will take over the bureaucracy. I said government policies are not determined by bureaucrats but legislators,” Chongtham said. “Everyone pointed out that the Meiteis cannot sacrifice their pride and history. You cannot lie that you are tribal. Thirty-two civil society bodies had come under the umbrella of one organisation and they objected to it,” he said.
The elite favoured ST, for they wanted the best of everything without thinking much about the larger social issues and crises that might come out of it,” he said. “That group then kept quiet. Suddenly, the ILP movement started. They hitched onto that wagon, saying Meiteis need protection and gained some traction. The government of India suddenly decided to give ILP. So, the carpet from under their feet was pulled and they had no more issues,” Chongtham said.
“There was a sense that the tribals should be first convinced that this (ST) is not going to hurt them. Unless you do that, you are asking for a confrontation. Chongtham said. On the issue of land, Chongtham said no society can develop by keeping land away from others. “Tell me about one place in the world where you protect your land, don’t allow people to buy it and you develop. Look at Nagaland and Mizoram. What is their development? You need outside investments and you also need to compete. Land is needed for investments to come,” Chongtham said. (To be continued)
IMPHAL: Athouba, the spokesman for the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, says the Meiteis have a sense of anxiety and insecurity over issues including drug trafficking and protection of their land. He said the community believes an ST status would give protection to their land.
“The Meiteis have been at the forefront to protect Manipur’s sovereignty before its merger with the Indian Union. They fought many battles, including with the British. The tribals also contributed, but the responsibility was largely taken up by the Meiteis” he said. “Manipur is divided in the name of ethnicity. The British applied this formula because for them, it was a colonial legacy. But we now live in democratic India. Why should Parliament follow the colonial remnants or policies?” he asked. A government source said poppy plantation is a lucrative business but the government has waged a war against drugs.
Illegal immigrantsgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“The government is committed to protecting the forests. A number of illegal immigrants from Myanmar have been caught without proper documents. Manipur was turning into a field for illegal immigrants. If the refugees from Myanmar were in one corner, it would not have been an issue, but they kept building new villages and tried to make their settlements legitimate. There is an exponential growth in the population,” said a source.
Dr Thongkholal Haokip, assistant professor, at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, said there is a lot of discontent in the hills about how the state government is treating the tribals. “The government is reluctant, but the Constitution’s Sixth schedule status has to be given to the tribal autonomous district councils. There is a kind of demonization going on. The hill people are targeted on the charge that they cultivate poppy,” Haokip said.
He said the demand by the All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM) was to thwart the process of inclusion of the Meiteis in the ST list. He said simmering tension preceded the recent violence when the Kukis were being branded as poppy cultivators.
Kukis being targeted
“If you go to the hills, you won’t find poppy cultivation. People have stopped growing poppy but the entire community is still being demonised. The government is strategically targeting the Kukis,” Haokip said.
On the alleged illegal migration of Kukis from Myanmar, Haokip said there could be illegal immigrants in the border areas because of political unrest in Myanmar but these people would go back when normalcy is restored in the neighbouring country.
“But why do you paint the entire Kuki community as illegal immigrants?” he asked. Not all Meiteis endorse the demand for the ST status and reservation.
‘Missteps’ & fears
Priyoranjan Chongtham, a retired professor of Manipur University, said the Meitei movement initially was for the reservation in jobs and then it shifted to the demand for the Inner Line Permit or ILP, a travel document which regulates the entry and stay of outsiders in the state. He said when the Centre granted ILP to Manipur, the movement was about ST status.
“There was then a feeling that if the Meiteis get the ST status, they will take over the bureaucracy. I said government policies are not determined by bureaucrats but legislators,” Chongtham said. “Everyone pointed out that the Meiteis cannot sacrifice their pride and history. You cannot lie that you are tribal. Thirty-two civil society bodies had come under the umbrella of one organisation and they objected to it,” he said.
The elite favoured ST, for they wanted the best of everything without thinking much about the larger social issues and crises that might come out of it,” he said. “That group then kept quiet. Suddenly, the ILP movement started. They hitched onto that wagon, saying Meiteis need protection and gained some traction. The government of India suddenly decided to give ILP. So, the carpet from under their feet was pulled and they had no more issues,” Chongtham said.
“There was a sense that the tribals should be first convinced that this (ST) is not going to hurt them. Unless you do that, you are asking for a confrontation. Chongtham said. On the issue of land, Chongtham said no society can develop by keeping land away from others. “Tell me about one place in the world where you protect your land, don’t allow people to buy it and you develop. Look at Nagaland and Mizoram. What is their development? You need outside investments and you also need to compete. Land is needed for investments to come,” Chongtham said. (To be continued)
