Demands of Meetei
Diaspora Speak
By : Dr Irengbam Mohendra Singh
Demand for Meiteis to be a scheduled tribe
A marvellous idea, it seems. But is it? Demands for Alternative arrangements by the
Tangkhuls, and Kukilam by the Kukis seem bright ideas. But are they?
Of course not! The Meitei demand is the culmination of what has taken them on an emotional rollercoaster ride from the peak of euphoria of independence to the valley of despair. I do appreciate the separate demands of the Tangkhuls and the Kukis, which they, at the moment seem to believe to be the right paths. And I, as a Meitei brook agreement with the group of Meiteis who are demanding retroversion to a lower social status for their frustration though not in its entirety.
The Meiteis feel bitter that they are simply living on an unhealthy egoistic diet while they are being thundered and volleyed with diatribes from the right, left and in front of them, as the Russian Cossacks did with cannon balls to the British Light Brigade (The Charge of The Light Brigade, Alfred Tennyson).
The Meiteis have long ceased to be a tribe. They are now a civilised ethnic minority group. They are an admixture of the indigenous seven tribes such as Me-Atei (Meetei), MePong (Manipuri Shans as the British called them), Khuman, Moirang, Luwang etc and in the course of time, of other ethnic peoples like the Nagas, Kukis, Assamese, Tripuris,
Chinese and Meitei Bamons, forming a conglomerate ethnic group known as the
“Meiteis”.
The Meiteis now refer to five socio-religious groups: (1) Meitei Hindus; (2) Meitei
Sanamahis; (3) Meitei Bamons; (4) Meitei Christians; and (5) Meitei Pangals.
This does not mean that the Meiteis cannot be classified as a Scheduled Tribe in accordance with the definition of a Scheduled Tribe (1950) in the Indian constitution.
I do not usually write about politics in Manipur as it is the job for the politicians in power and politicians in opposition, who do not listen to the voice of the people.
By : Dr Irengbam Mohendra Singh
Demand for Meiteis to be a scheduled tribe
A marvellous idea, it seems. But is it? Demands for Alternative arrangements by the
Tangkhuls, and Kukilam by the Kukis seem bright ideas. But are they?
Of course not! The Meitei demand is the culmination of what has taken them on an emotional rollercoaster ride from the peak of euphoria of independence to the valley of despair. I do appreciate the separate demands of the Tangkhuls and the Kukis, which they, at the moment seem to believe to be the right paths. And I, as a Meitei brook agreement with the group of Meiteis who are demanding retroversion to a lower social status for their frustration though not in its entirety.
The Meiteis feel bitter that they are simply living on an unhealthy egoistic diet while they are being thundered and volleyed with diatribes from the right, left and in front of them, as the Russian Cossacks did with cannon balls to the British Light Brigade (The Charge of The Light Brigade, Alfred Tennyson).
The Meiteis have long ceased to be a tribe. They are now a civilised ethnic minority group. They are an admixture of the indigenous seven tribes such as Me-Atei (Meetei), MePong (Manipuri Shans as the British called them), Khuman, Moirang, Luwang etc and in the course of time, of other ethnic peoples like the Nagas, Kukis, Assamese, Tripuris,
Chinese and Meitei Bamons, forming a conglomerate ethnic group known as the
“Meiteis”.
The Meiteis now refer to five socio-religious groups: (1) Meitei Hindus; (2) Meitei
Sanamahis; (3) Meitei Bamons; (4) Meitei Christians; and (5) Meitei Pangals.
This does not mean that the Meiteis cannot be classified as a Scheduled Tribe in accordance with the definition of a Scheduled Tribe (1950) in the Indian constitution.
I do not usually write about politics in Manipur as it is the job for the politicians in power and politicians in opposition, who do not listen to the voice of the people.