Demand for ST status to Meiteis gets louder; massive rally in CM N Biren Singh’s home turf Heingang

The protest over alleged delay in granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to Meiteis has intensified further.

The Meitei community took to the streets in Imphal East and that too in Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s home turf in support of their demand under the banner of the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur.

Minutes after holding a massive public meeting at Koirengei Bazaar, the STDCM supporters marched through the streets as they resolved to continue to press for their demand.

STDCM Working President L Lokendro who was spearheading the massive rally spoke to Northeast Live and reiterated the demand for granting ST status to the Meiteis.

L Lokendro while pressing for the long standing demand after the meeting at Koirengei Bazaar said, “We had a meeting, there were about 20 different Groups Committees. The resolution we took was that, we must go ahead with the movement as we are going now.”

The STDCM also highlighted the fact that it had also reached out to all the Meitei ministers and MLAs to pursue for their demand. According to the STDCM, the Meitei legislators had expressed solidarity to the movement and believes that it is a big support voice as far as the government is concerned.

STDCM Working President L Lokendro said, “This voice of the assembly MLAs supporting the movement, it’s a big support voice”.

The STDCM leader believes that Chief Minister N Biren Singh will take a decision and decide on the future course, especially after the rally organized at his home turf.

“Until and unless the Meiteis are included in the ST List the Meiteis are going to get extinct from this land in the near future and this is our voice that we are trying to reach to the government.

After this, we are sure that the Chief Minister will definitely consult his colleagues and other MLAs and he will shortly be taking a decision on this in the near future,” the STDCM Working President added.