Nothing Changes but Change Itself; Manipur Needs to Reinvent Itself
Nothing Changes but Change Itself; Manipur Needs to Reinvent Itself
The saying "nothing changes but change itself" means that while everything else is constantly transforming, change itself remains constant as the driving force of all things.
The saying "nothing changes but change itself"
means that while everything else is constantly transforming, change itself
remains constant as the driving force of all things. This idea, often
attributed to Heraclitus, suggests that continuous change is the only permanent
aspect of existence.
Look around the world and see how things have changed and is
always changing. Empires have disintegrated in India and States have replaced
them. Pseudo democracy with autocratic tendency is on the rise around the
world. From radios and telegrams we are now in the digital age with computers
and smart phones. We thought that nothing can be smaller than micro chips, but
there are now nano chips smaller than a rice grain. Batteries made of rare
earth materials last for decades. In a few decades, earthlings could become
space travellers seeding planets and moons across the universe and galaxies.
President Donald Trump changed the geopolitics of the world to multipolar and
India could become one of them. Laloo Yadav swore that Jharkhand would be
created over his dead body! Jharkhand was bifurcated 25 years back from Bihar
and Laloo Yadav is still alive! No one foresaw that J&K will be downgraded
to a UT! There is no permanent boundaries anymore and the changing geopolitical
conditions will keep on evolving changing the political landscape over time.
The geopolitical situation in Manipur is changing too. The instability in
Bangladesh and Myanmar has made the troubled north eastern states ripe for
fomenting trouble and China is, by far, not the friendliest nation.
Population has grown; more rapidly in the “hill areas” and
fewer in the valley. Why? Primarily on account of backwardness, poverty and
poor implementation of family planning programmes due to indifference of the
State government to the welfare of “hill areas”, while the valley flushed with
funds prospered at the expense of the “hill areas”. The dominant community
controls the State government and deprived the “hill areas” of an effective and
efficient local self-government by not recommending districts councils under
Article 244 and having elected district councils under State Act for only half
its lifetime in 50 years. The proper and effective functioning of the Hill
Areas Committee (HAC) constituted under Article 371-C of the Constitution for
ensuring that “hill areas” get a fair share of development funds and proper
governance was obstructed. Had these two instruments for the “hill areas”,
given in 1972 when Manipur became a State, been allowed to function properly
better development and governance would have taken place in “hill areas”.
Securing fair share of funds by the HAC would have ensured proper
implementation of developmental schemes, and family planning programmes in
“hill areas”.
Manipur State has always been dominated by the Meitei
community as they represent the majority population with more than 50% of the
State’s population, have 40 MLAs against 20 for “hill areas”, are an advanced
community dominating all walks of life. In short, they control the government
and all its machineries. They denied the HAC their say of deliberating over
State Plan budget for “hill areas” as provided in the Presidential Order dated
20th June 1972 issued under Article 371-C by bypassing it and gave a much
smaller share of development funds since 1972. Requisite numbers of posts of
teachers, health workers and various other government functionaries created for
“hill areas” were largely diverted and utilised in valley districts on various
excuses neglecting the “hill areas”. On account of their political clout and
financial power, individuals of dominant community secure all governmental
contracts for various works in “hill areas” and placated the tribal contractors
with petty sub-contracting works. As a result, governance and implementation of
works and schemes in the “hill areas” have been suffering since 1972 and most
assets exist only in paper or are of inferior quality.
Manipur is now at a stage where the dominant community has
started suspecting that the balance of power may be shifting and slipping out
of their hands. They blame it on illegal migrants which may partly be true, but
not entirely correct. For more than five decades, the “hill areas” have been
denied their fair share of developmental funds keeping it backward which
resulted in rapid tribal population growth. The tribes were tricked into
thinking that a large number of jobs have been created for “hill areas”, but
were diverted and utlised in the valley leading to neglect of education and health
care in the “hill areas”. Basic services like water supply and power supply
exist only in records. Road connectivity is mainly fair weather road category.
Under such situation, the hegemonic mindset of the dominant community has
remained unchanged inviting trouble. The aggressive demands of Meitei community
targeting tribal lands in “hill areas” has created the impression that they are
still thinking of carrying on their hegemonic agenda of suppressing,
oppressing, exploiting and subjugating the tribes. Such agendahas achieved nothing but sown the seeds in
the minds of tribal people of breaking away from Manipur.
Education and internet have opened up the minds of the
tribes and they are fully aware of their backwardness, potential for future and
their constitutional rights. Manipulated data of high flow of funds for “hill
areas” and condescending utterance of “hills and valley are one” will no longer
convince them that the dominant community has a change of heart. They know the
intentions of the dominant community when they ask for ST status, extension of
MLR&LR Act, amendment of Article 371-C, redrawing of district boundaries
for administrative convenience all of which are aimed at usurping tribal lands
in “hill areas”. Rubbing salt to injury, they have been denying Sixth Schedule
under Article 244 for the “hill areas” and are now opposing the direction of
Supreme Court to carry out the constitutional delimitation exercise based on
Census 2001 which is likely to benefit the “hill areas” by three assembly
seats. However, the dominant community should know that perpetuating
suppression, oppression, exploitation and subjugation of the tribes will no
longer be acceptable to the tribes. There are options available to the tribes
and one of them is to ask for separate administration.
The Kuki-Zo tribes have learnt their lessons the hard way in
the ongoing ethnic conflict with the Meitei community and want to separate from
Manipur. The Nagas of Manipur are ambivalent about their future in Manipur and
do not know what the “Framework Agreement” has in store for them, but they are
also realising that they stand to lose their tribal lands in “hill areas” if
they continue to be part of Manipur. The Nagas know that, in the event a
separate administration is given to the Kuki-Zo tribes, their power equation
vis a vis Meitei community will become weaker and they will be isolated and
bullied by the Meitei community. And both the tribal groups fear they will lose
their tribal lands in “hill areas” to the Meitei community if they remain to be
part of Manipur and know that it is better if they separate from Manipur.
However, considering the emerging situation, both Naga and Kuki groups may
start realising that it would be more advantageous for them to stay in Manipur
and counter the designs of the Meitei community as a united tribal group.
Ironically five decades of maladministration and deprivation of benefits to the
“hill areas” resulted to rapid population growth which may upset the political
power equation in the State. To remove illegal migrants from Manipur, NRC
(National Register of Citizens) should be implemented, but it may become a very
long drawn out affair and only serve to delay and complicate the next Census
exercise slated for year after 2026. The die is cast and the next Census could
exacerbate the chasm that exists between the dominant community and the tribes.
There is however another path - it’s called coexistence.
This path requires the dominant community to assuage the fear of the tribes
that they will stop targeting tribal lands in “hill areas” by giving up their
attempts to become ST, to amend Article 371-C, to extend MLR&LR Act to
“hill areas”, and to redraw district boundaries on pretext of administrative
convenience. On top of these, the dominant community has to facilitate grant of
Article 244 along with legislative powers over land in “hill areas” and laws
relating to tribal traditions and culture. In return the tribes can allow
themselves to be persuaded to make land laws in “hill areas” to facilitate
settlements in conclaves and economic activities in hill slopes for all
citizens. Such land use laws for “hill areas” would need to be formulated by
the autonomous district/territorial councils under the guidance of HAC and
passed by the council themselves. It’s a recipe for power sharing and land
sharing.
Things are more or less clear. The path forward is a forked
road - one that leads to separation and the other coexistence. The first road
will enable them to get rid of the tribes and enable them to develop their
beloved “Sanaleibak Manipur” into a Singapore type of State without any
baggage. The next road is narrow and difficult entailing several compromises
and adjustments by all stakeholders including forgiveness and burying the
hatchet. The dominant Meitei community is in the driver’s seat and it is for
them to steer the State on road they decide to take. God bless the driver!