As ethnic violence continued in Manipur, the State government on Thursday once again sought more time from the Manipur High Court before taking a position on whether the Meitei community should be included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.
A Division Bench of Justices Ahanthem Bimol Singh and A. Guneshwar Sharma is currently hearing an appeal filed by the All Manipur Tribal Union (AMTU). The appeal has been filed against a March 27 order of a single judge, which directed the State government to recommend Meiteis for inclusion in the ST list.
The March 27 order had led to sustained protests from Kuki-Zomi and Naga people (already STs), and after one of these protest marches in Churachandpur district, the violence began, soon spreading to the rest of the State. At least 100 people have been killed in the weeks of violence in the State, hundreds more injured, and tens of thousands internally displaced.
