SENAPATI, April 26 (NNN): The United Naga Council (UNC) has expressed its unhappiness over the High Court of Manipur directing the government of Manipur to recommend for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei community in the Schedule Tribe (ST) list of India.
The UNC said on Tuesday that “the Meitei/ Meetei community of Manipur is an advanced community of India” with their language, Manipuri (Meiteilon) listed in the Eight Schedule to the constitution of India. “They are already protected under the constitution of India and categorised as (i) General (ii) Other Backward Classes (OBC) and (iii) Schedule Caste (SC),” said the UNC. The Naga body then said it is irrational that the High Court of Manipur directed the government of Manipur to recommend for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei community in the Schedule Tribe (ST) list of India, “negating the sole objective of scheduling group of people for protective discrimination as ST in the constitution of India”.
The United Naga Council (UNC), therefore, strongly condemned the “inane order” of the Hon’ble Manipur High Court dated 27/03/2023 directing the government of Manipur to make “such imbecilic recommendation despite strong opposition from Scheduled tribes of the state”.
