Tribal ministry cites Manipur tensions to refuse RTI

New Delhi: The tribal affairs ministry has refused to disclose information relating to a claimed Manipur government proposal to delete the nomenclature 'Any Kuki Tribes' from the Scheduled Tribes list, citing apprehensions that the disclosure could aggravate inter-community tensions in the ethnic violence-hit state. Information commissioner Ashutosh Chaturvedi has upheld the ministry's stand. The RTI applicant, Michael Haokip, referred to a Manipur government letter dated July 25, 2024, which he claimed concerned the proposal to delete the nomenclature 'Any Kuki Tribes' from the state's ST list and correct 'Any Mizo (Lushai) Tribe' to 'Mizo'. The applicant sought confirmation of whether the ministry had received the proposal, along with its date of receipt and official file number.