Tamenglong: An 'usit Pi Daba' District Of Manipur

Jimmy Pamei *

Travelling through Tamenglong District :: first week of February 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Tamenglong district had suffered much discrimination and is now marginalized to the brink. For ages this district is seen as a third class underdog. And its humble citizens had thought that things were just 'like this and like that' for everyone. But the fact is they didn't realize that they were victims of marginalization by the state government. People of Tamenglong, who are also the citizens of a welfare state, have taken for granted that 'things are just like this in Manipur.'

There is no hope but just a wishful thinking that 'one day things may turn out somehow good.' And many people thought that 'one day there will be a solution for the Naga's homeland.' The fact is there is no such thing as 'one day things may turn out good' or that the Naga solution is likely a pipedream.

People of Tamenglong had been humble, weak and ignorant. And it seemed in the past they didn't have much to contribute to the state exchequer. And so they were looked down, marginalized and even categorized as uncivilized by the majority of the state population. For instance around 1910 an old woman from Tamenglong came to sell beetle leaf at Imphal. At Khwairamband Bazar, she lovingly pulled the cheek of a little child who was carried on the back of its mother. The old woman had to pay her beetle leaf sale proceeds as fine to the baby's mother for 'ritually polluting' the baby.

These days though this discrimination has waned to some extent. Yet the 'Usit pid daba' attitude against the people of Tamenglong and the hill people still lingers in the mind of the politicians, bureaucrats and the babus. Though there are many dimensions where the people of Tamenglong suffer from this attitude, the more conspicuous cases are mention hereunder:

ELECTRICITY: They said that the power situation in Manipur is pathetic. But the case of Tamenglong is more pathetic. Some years back, this district has suffered a total black-out for even three months at a stretch. For the past decades it has suffered black-out for almost every season of Matric exam, not to mention the cases of those off days during the World Cup and other important events local, national and international.

This year the people of Tamenglong were not able to watch any telecast of the poll results because there was no current. Even today there is still no current due to a problem which some say was due to the installation of 'second hand' machinery.

The original 'first hand' machine meant for Tamenglong was rumored to have been swapped for other station. An 'Usit taba' action. Looking back at the current supply record one may safely conclude that on the basis of 24 hours a day supply Tamenglong did not get even 4 months period of power in a year. The supply was erratic, unpredictable and without any 'usit pa'.

ROAD: Any first time traveler to Tamenglong always wonders if there is any town at the end of this jungle, bumpy, un-tarred and single lane road. The local politicians and bureaucrats did not give a damn to this fact.

Many politicians and bureaucrats came and are gone without paying any attention. So too the state government and its machinery. Ignoring this fact actually amounts to wishing the district to wither away. The present demand by some organizations to handover the construction of road to BRTF/BRO points to the fact that they have no more trust in the state government sincerity.

MOBILE AND INTERNET: They said mobile and internet access speed is slow in India. But for Tamenglong they are just a farce. The BSNL that is 'Connecting India' is just a 'Connecting India Sometimes' only for Tamenglong. You may dial 100 times from Cell One/BSNL Mobile Sim and don't get connected. The so called Broadband the BSNL has supplied may work for a week.

But it will be dead for a month due to snapping of optical fiber – many times. It is a wonder as to who gave the nod to go ahead for construction of the optical fiber line along these provisional highways. When the whole world is clamoring for internet as a Human Right now this district is just at the trying out stage. Information is power. Tamenglong is denied of proper information facilities.

BANK: There is just one bank at the District Headquarter. The so called United Bank of India had been catering to the needs of the people well in the past decade. Now it hasn't. The bank is now an overburdened donkey. The modern lifestyle demands bank account for almost every transaction for even the unborn to the aged. The SHG, students, business and organizations have flocked the lone bank where the facility and staff are overstretched.

For instance, last year the KYC matter demonstrated the awkward situation the bank has to overcome: the KYC form bundles of customers lay unattended for months. And the Security personnel often have to act as if they were the employee of UBI to help out the tasks of the bank employees. A single overburdened bank for a Tamenglong town hints to the complacency of the state apparatus.

For all these neglect the government remains a silent spectator when the land of Tamenglong district is encroaches by the non-locals. Jiribam is a part of Tamenglong district. The overstepping of the valley district administration into Jiribam is another indication that Tamenglong is just a speck of dust in the Manipur's anthropocentric map. The lone Tamenglong College has just an Art stream virtually without proper teacher except for some local staff. The Kendriya Vidyalaya suffered from lack of permanent teacher.

Regarding the Health issue, the District Hospital had its Ultra-sound facility just recently. There is no more Public Transport now in this so called welfare state. Water scarcity is the biggest issue in this most rainy district. There could be hundreds of cases where the funds and job opportunities for Tamenglong is cut or concealed at the state capital.

However, the above listed facts are the most conspicuous that need immediate attention. Failing them in the past has often led the people to hail such movement as 'The Alternative Arrangement' and the likes.