Manipur HC allows tribal bodies to appeal against order on ST status for Meiteis

IMPHAL: 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 Muralidharan 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 at Torbung in Churachandpur district and became the trigger for the ethnic violence which has so far claimed at least 180 lives.

Even though the March 27 order has been interpreted as the immediate cause for the ethnic strife in the state, Chief Minister N Biren Singh

has consistently linked the violence to the state government’s campaign against

drugs

and poppy cultivation in the hills as well as due to the unrest caused by illegal immigrants from Myanmar.

The court informed, “taking into consideration the nature of arguments advanced by the learned counsel appearing for the parties which needs to be examined and decided on the basis of the materials available in the connected writ appeal and writ petition and taking into

consideration the grievances raised by the applicants, we are inclined to grant leave sought by the applicants in the

present application.”