Can Kukis be de-listed from the Scheduled Tribe list in Manipur? Yes, if Maheshwar Thounaojam, National Secretary of the Republican Party of India (Athawale) is to be believed.
Acting upon his representation to the Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda on December 11, 2023, the Central Government asked the Manipur government to examine a representation seeking the deletion of the “Nomadic Chin-Kuki” from the list of Scheduled Tribes in Manipur, the Hindu reported.
In a letter dated December 26, 2023, the Union government said the process of inclusion or exclusion from the ST list requires the proposal to originate from the concerned State government and hence it was sending the representation to the State government for its recommendation, the Hindu report added.
Thounaojam, the Hindu report said, cited a Supreme Court judgement from January 2011 to suggest that “all Scheduled Tribes (Adivasis) shall be original inhabitants of India”. He then goes on to argue that in light of this judgement, “the Kukis including Zomis of Manipur do not qualify as Scheduled Tribes of Manipur on the ground that they are not original inhabitants of Manipur.”
Also Read | Useful first step: on probing the ethnic violence in Manipur
Thounaojam argued that indigeneity should be the principal criterion for defining Scheduled Tribes in the country, further requesting the government to accordingly determine “who should be correctly in the Scheduled Tribes list of Manipur”, also making a case for the Meiteis’ inclusion.
He contended that the entries “Any Mizo (Lushai) Tribes” and “Zou” were added to the ST list in 1956, despite the absence of these entries in the report of the Kaka Kalelkar Commission, which had also specifically recommended that individual tribe names should be mentioned in the list as opposed to “ambiguous” tribe names.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
EastMojo reached out to Kuki leaders for comment. The story will be updated as and when we hear from them.
Also Read: Explained: How goods trains help Manipur mitigate highway stir woes