Dimapur, December 10 (MExN): Two Zeliangrong youth organizations are unhappy that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India “sought to balkanize” the Zeliangrong people into six different groups in the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment ) Bill, 2011, by “blindly following the controversial 2006 recommendation made by Government of Manipur.” The organization shave warned of a backlash if the Zeliangrong community’s statutory status is manipulated.
Zeliangrong Youth Front and All Zeliangrong Students’ Union of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, issued a joint statement today disproving “the manner” in which the ministry ‘balkanized’ the Zeliangrong people into six different groups such as Kabui, Rongmei, Inpui, Kacha, Liangmai and Zeme through the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment ) Bill, 2011 bypassing existing recommendations from 1991 and 2001.
The organizations have demanded that the Tribal Affairs Minister take a ‘relook’ at the various representations made by the Zeliangrong along with the requisite recommendations of the Manipur state government. Earlier, the state government had listed a number of recommendations to the Government of India to recognize the Zeliangrong as a Schedule Tribe, such as the ones made in 1991 and 2001 “…accordingly withhold the said bill in the larger interests of the Zeliangrong people and explore if the provisions of the 1991 and 2001 can replace or be duly incorporated in the present bill. The 2006 recommendation of Manipur Government upon which the present bill is premised has no knowledge and sanction of the frontal organizations and the civil societies of the Zeliangrong people at large,” the joint statement said.
The youth organizations have expressed that “if the government of India go ahead with the proposed Bill without amending the said bill in accordance to wishes and aspiration of the Zeliangrong people for the recognition of ‘Any Zeliangrong Tribe’ (including Zeme and Liangmai in lieu of Kacha Naga and Rongmei in lieu of Kabui), Zeliangrong people will take up all forms of democratic agitations,” the organizations said in their statement.
