In a significant development, the Manipur High Court has modified its 27th March 2023 order pertaining to the inclusion of the Meitei in the list of Schedule Tribes. On 22nd February 2024, the High Court deleted the controversial Paragraph 17(iii) of the order that recommended the State Government to consider giving the Meiteis ST status.

Withdrawing the order, the court stated on 22 February:

“[22] After joint perusal of the procedure laid down by the Government of India for inclusion in or exclusion from the list of Scheduled Tribe issued under Article 342 of the Constitution of India in Clause (g) of the Annual Report, 2013-14 of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India which has been also reproduced herein above and observation made by the Constitution Bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in State of Maharashtra V. Milind & Ors. [(2001) 1 SCC 4], I am satisfied and of the view that the direction given at Para No. 17(iii) of the Hon’ble Single Judge dated 27.03.2023 passed in W.P.(C) No. 229 of the 2023 which is impugned herein needs to be reviewed, as the direction given at Para No. 17(iii) of the Hon’ble Single Judge is against the observation made in the Constitution Bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

[23] Accordingly, the direction given at Para No. 17(iii) needs to be deleted and is ordered accordingly for deletion of the Para No. 17(iii) of the judgment and order dated 27.03.2023 passed in W.P.(C) No. 229 of 2023.”

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud had earlier on 17th May 2023, termed the 27th March 2023 order of Justice Muralidaran as “obnoxious” and “incorrect”.

Read more: SC castigates Manipur High Court judge; says he did not correct his orders on quoto to Meiteis

It may be mentioned that violence broke out in the Manipur after the 3rd May 2023 demonstration by the tribals in protest of the order that recommended inclusion of the dominant Meitei community to the ST list.

Meanwhile, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) asserted that the objective of its demand is “to secure the constitutional safeguards for the survival of the indigenous Meitei/Meetei tribe in Manipur” and not intended “to infringe upon the interests of other communities already included in the list.”

STDCM has stated this in its press release dated 21 February 2024, in response to the memorandum submitted to the Governor of Manipur by the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) expressing opposition to the Committee’s demand for the inclusion of the Meitei/Meetei in the ST list.

“It is up to the Government to decide whether such inclusion is justified.” STDCM had said.

Read more: Meiteis have superseded all tribal traits to qualify as ST: ANSAM