The Manipur High Court has granted permission to five tribal organizations to appeal against a controversial order issued on March 27. This order, issued by the then acting Chief Justice MV Muralidharan, directed the state government to promptly consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (STs) list. The decision had sparked widespread protests in the tribal regions of the state, resulting in ethnic tensions.
In response to these concerns, a division bench of Justices Ahanthem Bimol Singh and A Guneshwar Sharma, in an order dated October 19, acknowledged the applicants’ main grievance. The tribal groups feared that their rights and interests would be adversely affected if they were not allowed to voice their objections or concerns regarding the granting of ST status to the Meetei/Meitei Community. They insisted on the opportunity to challenge the judgment and order by filing a writ appeal.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing the applicants, argued that the applicants were troubled by the potential consequences of wrongly granting ST status to the Meetei/Meitei community. They expressed concerns about the adverse impact on existing STs in terms of employment and educational opportunities, where reservation provisions apply. Additionally, Gonsalves highlighted that the Meetei/Meitei community’s political, economic, and educational advancement could potentially lead to their dominance in ST reserved seats, further complicating the matter.
Post Your Comments