It may be noted that WMC had on November 20 urged the Chief Minister of Manipur to send the required necessary ethnography and socio-economic reports to the Centre for inclusion of Meetei in Scheduled Tribes’ list
TFM Desk
With day expiry of four-day ultimatum served by 16 civil society organizations in Manipur on the state government to send recommendation to the Centre for inclusion of Meetei in Scheduled Tribes’ list, World Meetei Council (WMC) on Wednesday declared 72-hour general strike from November 25 to November 27.
In a press statement, the council said essential services like Health Department, medical related, electricity, water supply, fire service, educational examination and the media will not be affected by the general strike. It appealed to the general public to extend support to the strike.
It may be noted that WMC had on November 20 urged the Chief Minister of Manipur to send the required ethnography and socio-economic reports to the centre. It had alleged that the report was lying unattended with the state government since 2013.
The WMC chairman had stated that as per Government statistical data, Meeteis could be decimated in the next few decades. With the unchecked influx of illegal migrants from across the borders, Manipur’s demography has been greatly disturbed, he said. This has made all the more important to give due recognition to the Meetei as native indigenous people by enlisting them in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
WMC had warned that it would be left with no choice but to go to any extent to get justice for the Meetei people if the Manipur government continues to do injustice to the Meeteis as this is for our future and our children.
“WMC and all our CSO groups appeal to all the people of Manipur to bear with the difficulties because if this injustice against the Meetei is not stopped then Manipur could be in turmoil in the very near future. And we are doing this for the good of all the people of Manipur,” said the chairman.
Asking the chief minister to send the necessary reports before November 24, 2021 positively, WMC said that they would be constrained to resort to democratic means of resistance if the Manipur government does not attend to their genuine and rightful demand. The council had threatened to resort to general strike for 72 hours from November 25, 2021 followed by all forms of protests till justice is served.