• NET Web Desk

The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) staged a sit-in demonstration across the northeastern state; demanding the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei Community into the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of India.

The STDCM, along with the Western Star Club, Langjing Women Welfare Association and Meira Paibis intensified its demand for providing constitutional protection to Meetei/Meitei community by recognizing it as a ST.

These protesters strongly denounced the state government for carrying an “indifferent attitude” towards the relevant demand for more than a decade.

According to the General Secretary of STDCM – K Bhogendrajit, the state government must adhere to the committee’s democratic strategy.

“Since its failing to budge with the peaceful protests, the government is now compelling us to pursue violent and undemocratic means of agitation,” he threatened.

He mounted pressure on the authorities to provide necessary paperwork for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the ST list, without further delay.