The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) has made it clear that the authority to finalize the inclusion of any community in the Scheduled Tribe list rests with the Parliament, not the judiciary. In a recent statement, the committee addressed the confusion surrounding the Meetei/Meitei community’s demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe list, which arose due to misreporting by some national media outlets regarding a Manipur High Court order. The committee clarified that a misinterpretation of the High Court’s judgment led to the confusion. While the judgment urged expedited consideration of the Meetei/Meitei community’s inclusion in the ST list, it did not reject or dismiss their demand, as wrongly portrayed by certain media reports.
According to the STDCM, seeking recourse through the judiciary for the inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the ST list is not legally tenable. Legal experts consulted by the committee affirmed that the issue falls outside the jurisdiction of the courts, as supported by the Supreme Court’s ruling in “State of Maharashtra vs Milind & Ors., (2001) 1 SCC 4”. The committee emphasized that the only justiciable matter related to the Meetei/Meitei community’s ST demand concerns the non-response from the state government to the Centre’s letter dated May 29, 2013. Any grievances regarding this delay can be addressed through legal channels. Highlighting the urgency of the matter, the STDCM urged all Meetei/Meitei MLAs and Ministers to expedite the recommendation process for the community’s inclusion in the ST list. They emphasized that this step is crucial for the community’s protection and future security.
Additionally, the committee called upon the state government to address concerns raised by existing ST communities regarding the potential inclusion of Meetei/Meitei, assuring them that such inclusion would be mutually beneficial. The statement reiterated the importance of prompt action by the state government to submit the necessary documents to the Centre, emphasizing that delays could further exacerbate the situation.The Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union’s petition filed last year regarding the inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the ST list underscores the significance of this issue, demanding swift and decisive action from all stakeholders involved.