ATSUM to hold Tribal Solidarity March in Manipur hill districts on May 3 to protest Meteis ST demand

The All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM) will organise a Tribal Solidarity March in all hill districts of the state on May 3 to protest the Meitei/Meetei community’s demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category which is gaining momentum and backing from several politicians.

The Tribal Solidarity March will be carried in –Senapati, Ukhrul, Kangpokpi, Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Chandel and Tengnoupal with the theme “Come now let us reason together.”

The ATSUM resolved to organise the Tribal Solidarity March in the meeting held on April 21, 2023, by the tribal student organizations of the state having felt the need to take appropriate action to jointly protect the interest of the tribal people in this time of uncertainty regarding the Meitei’s ST demand.

The meeting also constituted a district-level coordination team to facilitate the grand success of the proposed March in each hill district.

The coordination team will be responsible for:
(1) Coordinating with the Apex Organisation of the concerned district (2) Mobilisation of resources
(3) Mobilisation of participants
(4) Effective coverage of the event in Media
(5) Other necessary arrangements required for the event

It may be mentioned here that after the Manipur High Court on April 19 directed the State Government to submit recommendations for the inclusion of the community in the ST list of the Constitution of India, various tribal organisations including students organisations and the tribal public of the state have been raising objection to the demand.

The High Court has directed the state Government to consider the case preferably within a period of four weeks from April 19.

These organisations are protesting the demand by apprising both the central and state leadership of the threat and insecurity the demand poses to the tribal people.