In the tribal hill districts of Manipur, large-scale protests were held on Sunday as part of a Tribal Solidarity March opposing the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.
In Churachandpur district, the march began at Lamka Public Ground around 10 am and concluded peacefully at Tuibuang Peace Ground by 1 pm, covering nearly 2 km. An estimated one lakh people participated in the rally, reflecting widespread support among tribal communities.
The protest was organised under the banner of All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM), which sought to send a strong message to the Centre not to grant ST status to the Meitei community. ATSUM also demanded that the directive issued by the Manipur High Court be declared null and void.
On March 27, 2023, the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court, MV Muralidaran, had directed the state government to consider including the Meitei community in the ST list. This order triggered strong resentment among tribal groups across the state.
In response, tribal organisations organised solidarity marches across all hill districts. Protesters carried banners with slogans such as “Our Land, Our Rights”, “Stop Tribal Land Grabbing”, “How can a community with two-third seats in the Assembly demand ST status”, “Stop Atrocities on Tribal People”, and “Come Let Us Reason Together”.
The demonstrations highlighted deep concerns among tribal communities over land rights, political representation and identity, which later became a key factor in escalating tensions in the state.
