Imphal, July 11 -- The World Meetei Council (WMC) has renewed its demand for the inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list, asserting that the status is a constitutional entitlement essential for safeguarding the community's identity, land and cultural heritage.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the global socio-cultural organisation said the demand enjoys broad public support across Manipur and urged the Centre and the state government to expedite the process of granting ST status to the community.

The WMC said a statewide signature campaign conducted in 2024 received the support of nearly one million people, describing it as evidence of widespread backing for the demand.

Formed in 2018, the organisati...