Manipur Groups Urge Tribal Affairs Ministry to Remove AKT from ST List

Imphal, Jun 24 (PTI): In a significant development, two local organizations from Manipur have appealed to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to remove the 'Any Kuki Tribes' (AKT) category from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list in the state. They claim that its existence enables "foreigners to assert rights" over the indigenous people, posing a potential threat to local land and resources.

In their memorandum submitted to the ministry, Thadou Inpi Manipur and Meitei Alliance stressed that their appeal aligns with the official recommendations made by the Government of Manipur. The state government's cabinet had made decisions advocating for the category's removal on October 19, 2018, and January 2, 2023.

The two organizations contend that the broad and undefined nature of the 'Any Kuki Tribes' designation permits outsiders to claim tribal rights in Manipur. They believe this creates a critical challenge to land ownership and resource allocation, as well as threatens the constitutional entitlements of the already recognized scheduled tribes.

They argued that the AKT category lacks the fundamental characteristics required for Scheduled Tribe status under Article 342 of the Indian Constitution, such as a distinct language, cultural heritage, or geographical isolation. According to the organizations, the inclusion of AKT fails to meet any necessary criteria and merely contributes to ethnic tensions and legal ambiguities.

The two groups further asserted that the 'Any Kuki Tribes' category was incorporated into the Scheduled Tribes list of Manipur in 2003 via "politically motivated and non-transparent methods."

Unlike the established Scheduled Tribes of Manipur, known for their unique linguistic and cultural identities, AKT is deemed as an unsubstantiated and arbitrary addition with no genuine justification. Its presence has, according to the memorandum, only intensified ethnic strife and disrupted social harmony within the region.

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)