Meitei demand for ST status sparked Manipur violence: Manipur CM

Imphal, Jan 8: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Wednesday described the ongoing ethnic violence in the state as "very unfortunate" and emphasized that his government was not to blame, as the unrest began after the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Speaking to a gathering of internally displaced persons at the CM Secretariat, Singh urged that no political agendas be pursued amid the human crisis unfolding in the state. Reflecting on the violence that erupted on May 3, 2023, the Chief Minister remarked, "The incident was very unfortunate.The cause of the conflict was the demand for ST status by the Meiteis. Everybody has been criticising the State Government as if we had made a mistake. The reality, however, is that the Manipur High Court had asked the State Government to reply to the demand for ST status by the Meiteis. Opposing it, a rally was held, and houses belonging to Meiteis were attacked. That is how the conflict began."

On March 27, 2023, acting Chief Justice MV Muralidaran of the Manipur High Court directed the state government to submit recommendations to the Central Government for considering the inclusion of the Meitei/Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.

This move was met with strong opposition from the tribal bodies of the state. On May 3, in response, the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur organised a rally in the hill districts, which turned violent when a mob from Churachandpur district stormed a locality, engaging in vandalism and arson.

The Chief Minister stated that certain individuals and groups have been politicising the issue.

"However, it is the State Government that has been working to meet all the needs of those in the relief camps, including their education, daily provisions, health, and others... We are witnessing a human crisis, and no politics should be played," he said.

"The mindset needs to change. There is a conflict going on, and many have been killed and displaced. Now is not the time to seek popularity in social media and TV discussions. Let the genuine subject experts and security forces speak on the conflict," Singh remarked.

Accusing "previous leaders" of engaging in narrow politics and making mistakes that have led to the current hardships, the Chief Minister stated, "We need to take risks and sacrifices to save the land and society. Politics is not for winning elections only."

Biren Singh asserted that the relationship between the police and the public improved after the BJP government assumed power, claiming that, prior to this, there was a widespread fear of the police among the people.

With inputs from news agency