High Court: Tribal bodies can challenge ST status to Meiteis

Imphal, October 21

The Manipur High Court has allowed tribal organisations in the state to file an appeal against the controversial March 27 order which directed the state government to send a recommendation on ST status for the Meitei community.

A Division Bench of Justice Ahanthem Bimol and Justice Guneshwar Sharma in its October 19 order allowed the tribal bodies to appeal against the order, saying, “The main grievances raised by the applicant is that they will be prejudicially affected if they are not given a chance to have a say or to raise objection in the matter of granting ST status to the Meitei community.”

A single judge Bench had passed the controversial order on a petition filed by members of the Meitei Tribes Union, seeking that the state government be directed to act on their pleas for inclusion in the ST list. The March 27 order by then Acting Chief Justice MV Muralidaran led to widespread objections from Kuki Zo bodies, which was followed by a rally, organised by the All Tribal Students Union (ATSUM) on May 3, during which violence broke out at Torbung in Churachandpur district and became the trigger for the ethnic violence, which has so far claimed at least 180 lives.

Advocate Collin Gonsalves, appearing for the tribal bodies, remarked that “if the Meitei community is wrongly granted ST status, it will adversely affect the existing tribal ST in employment and education where reservation for STs exist and that the Meitei community being dominant and advanced politically, economically and educationally will grab majority of the ST reserved seats”.