Manipur High Court To Review Order On ST Status To Meiteis, Seeks Response From Centre And State

The Manipur High Court has admitted a review petition filed by the Meitei Tribes Union (MTU) seeking modification its earlier order.

The HC order on 27 March had directed the Manipur government to consider including the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list, following which clashes erupted between Meiteis and Kukis in the state.

Acting Chief Justice M V Muralidaran, who authored the 27 March order, admitted the petition and issued notices to the Centre and the state government.

In the 27 March order, the Manipur HC had directed the state government to "consider the case of the petitioners for inclusion of the Meitei/Meitei community in the ST list, expeditiously, preferably within a period four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order…", reports The New Indian Express.

The MTU sought modification of this part of the order as the state government is not authorised to grant ST status.

The review petition is scheduled to be heard again on 5 July.

Over 110 people have lost their lives in the violence between Meitei and Kuki communities that broke out on 3 May after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts of the state to protest against the HC order asking the government to consider tribal status to Meitei community.