Kuki­Zo tribal bodies against review of ST status of certain tribes

Kuki­Zo tribal bodies against review of ST status of certain tribes

Subject: Geography

Section: Human geography

Context:

• Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and Zomi Council Steering Committee (ZCSC) condemn the move to review ST status of Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur during ethnic conflict.
• Manipur government forms a committee to examine delisting representation, including all 34 recognized STs.

More about News

• ITLF accuses Manipur government of attempting to change ST criteria, depriving Kuki-Zo tribals of rights and land, warns of escalating conflict.
• Zomi body opposes removal of Free Movement Regime along Myanmar border, criticizes Manipur government’s efforts to shift focus from the root cause of ethnic violence.
•  ZCSC demands a separate administration for the Zo people,seeking a Union Territory with a legislature under the Indian Constitution.

About Kuki Tribe:

• Resides in the northeastern regions of India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.Primarily located in Manipur and Mizoram (India), Chin State (Myanmar), and Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bangladesh).Also referred to as Chin or Mizo people, sharing common ancestry and culture.
• Part of the broader Zo people, including the Chin and Mizo tribes.Boasts a diverse history, culture, and traditions, shaped by their environment in hilly and forested terrain.
• Communicates through various dialects of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo language family, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman branch of SinoTibetan languages.

Process of Amendment in the ST List

• Any tribe or tribal community can be included or excluded from the list only by law made by the Parliament of India.
• A notification issued under clause (1) of Article 342, specifying Scheduled Tribes, is used to amend the list.
• As per the SC verdict, it is not open to State governments or courts or tribunals or any other authority to modify, amend or alter the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in the notification issued under clause (1) of Article 342.
• However, the center has stated that the process of inclusion or exclusion from ST list requires the proposal to originate from the concerned State government, which is then acted upon by the Parliament. 
• The criteria used by the government to declare communities as STs were decided upon by the Lokur Committee in 1965 and continue to be in use today.
• Criteria includes primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with the community at large, and backwardness.