ST Status of Meitei Community
May 8 , 2023
571 days
652
- The Meitei community's demand for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status got a boost recently.
- This is held after the Manipur High Court directed the state government to send a recommendation
- The Indian State maintains three lists of 'backward' communities for the purpose of its various affirmative action program.
- All the castes and tribes that are included in any of these three lists viz. SC, ST and OBC categories.
- Meitei’s didn't meet the criteria for the ST status when the ST list was drawn up by the Government of India in the 1950s.
- Manipur has three major ethnic groups – Meitei, Naga, and Kuki.
- Manipur has more than 30 communities listed as Scheduled Tribes.
- All broadly belonging either to the Kuki or Naga ethnic groups, which had a combined population of 40.88% as per the 2011 census.
- Meitei’s are primarily located in the valley, while the Naga and Kuki tribes occupy the hills surrounding the valley.
- The population of Meitei’s is higher than the combined population of Nagas and Kukis.
- Even though the valley has only about 10% geographic area, majority of the state population lives there.
- The Meitei’s also dominate the state legislature.
- In the 60-member Assembly, 40 MLAs are sent from the valley, while 20 are elected from the hills.
- If the Meitei’s are added to the ST list, almost all the communities in Manipur will have ST designation.
- Scheduled Tribes are notified under Article 342 of Constitution.
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