DELISTING REPRESENTATION FOR KUKI-ZOMI TRIBES IN MANIPUR
Why in the News?
- Manipur Government instructed by the Centre to examine a representation for delisting certain Kuki and Zomi tribes from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.
Source: UGI
About the Case:
- In 2023, various Meitei groups in Manipur advocated for their inclusion in the ST list, contrasting with the recent plea to exclude Kuki and Zomi communities.
- The argument is based on non-indigenous status, asserting that Meiteis should gain ST status by omitting Kuki and Zomi from the list.
About Chin Kuki
· Ethnic group residing in Northeast India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. · Predominantly found in Manipur, Mizoram (India), Chin State (Myanmar), and Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bangladesh). · Current Status : Scheduled Tribes. · Also recognized as Chin or Mizo people, sharing common ancestry and culture. · Communicate through various dialects of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo language family. · Belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the broader Sino-Tibetan language group. About Zou or Zomi People · Indigenous community residing along the India-Burma frontier, identified as a sub-group of the Zo people (Mizo-Kuki-Chin). · In India, particularly in Manipur, they share language and habits with the Paite and Simte peoples. · Zou people officially recognized as one of Manipur’s thirty-three indigenous communities and listed as Scheduled Tribes. · As per the 2001 Census, the Zou/Jou population in Manipur is approximately 20,000, comprising less than 3% of the total population. · Concentrated in Churachandpur and Chandel districts of Manipur. |