Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has announced plans to establish an all-tribe committee to discuss the status of the Kukis in the state. This comes in response to a letter from the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs seeking the state government’s views on the demand to remove the “nomadic Chin Kuki” community from Manipur’s Scheduled Tribes list. Singh, who belongs to the Meitei community, has been petitioned by the Republican Party of India (Athawale) leader to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community while questioning the same for the Kukis. The petition argues that the Kukis are not original inhabitants of Manipur, unlike the Meiteis. The formation of the committee will allow for a comprehensive evaluation of the issue before any decisions are made. Manipur has been witnessing ethnic tensions since 2023 when the proposal to include the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list sparked violence. The Meiteis constitute a majority of Manipur’s population, while tribes like the Nagas and Kukis make up the rest.
The Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh, has announced that a panel will be formed to discuss the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status of the Kukis in the state. This comes after a letter from the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs seeking the state government’s views on the demand to remove the “nomadic Chin Kuki” community from Manipur’s ST list. Singh, who belongs to the Meitei community, has also questioned the ST status for the Kukis, claiming they are “outsiders”. The Kukis currently have ST status in Manipur, while the Meiteis do not. The formation of the panel will determine whether the Chin Kuki community remains on the ST list.
Disclaimer: Only the headline and content of this report may have been reworked by Newsearay, staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed. The Article was originally published on Source link
Manipur CM forms all-tribe panel to reassess Kukis’ ST status.
