Urbanisation in Manipur : A district level review of Census data
- Part 1 -

Tuithung Shinmi *

A very crowded scene at Ema Keithel, Imphal on November 13 2012 :: Pix - Bunti Phurailatpam

INTRODUCTION:

Urbanization is a continuous and complex process whereby the proportion of population living in the places defined as 'urban' by an appropriate notional authority increases vis-à-vis the rural component. It is a progressive concentration of population in urban unit (Davis, 1965). Quantification of urbanization is very difficult, it is a long term process (Datta, 2006).

Though the increase may result from growth in existing urban population, rural-urban transfer, numerical proliferation of urban centers and spatial expansion of existing urban areas, however, rural-urban transfer has been the moving force behind the rapid pace of urbanization. Urbanization refers to the transformation of society including some drastic geographic, economic and social changes.

It represents the movement of population to towns and cities, an increase in the proportion of population engaged in secondary and tertiary sectors of economy and a corresponding change in the behavioral pattern. In other words, urbanization is characterized by a movement of people of small communities concerned solely with agriculture to other larger communities whose activities are primarily centered to government, trade, manufacture and allied interests. Social factors play an important role in urbanization and development.

Manipur and other parts of the Northeast are characterised by the dominance of tribal culture and ethnic diversity. Ethnic conflict arising on the issue of land ownership, the hilly terrain, the dimension of physical accessibility to all parts of the state is of paramount importance. Provision of road, rail, power and water infrastructure is among the most important conditions in Manipur.

URBANISATION TREND IN MANIPUR:

Urbanization is an indicator of the level of development of any region. Looking at urbanization in the state of Manipur, it is comparatively low as the level of development is low, although the average population of the region is increasing. The urban population in India grew from 286 million in 2001 to 377 million in 2011- an increment of 91 million, which is larger than the rural population increment of 90.5 million for the first time since independence (Bhagat, 2011). On the contrary in Manipur urban population increased by 0.24 million in 2011 from 2001 which is lower than the rural population increase of 0.30 million during that decade.

In 2011, 31.16 percent of total population of India was living in urban places. Interestingly Manipur happens to exactly match the all India level of 31.16 percent in 2011. However, in major states of India like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu the rate of urbanization was much higher, the figure stood at 45.23, 42.58 and 48.45 percent respectively in the above three mentioned states (see Table 2).

It means, compared to urbanization of the country and its major states, urbanization in Manipur is lower.

According to 1961 census the whole of Manipur had only two towns, the number of town (statutory towns and census towns) rose to 33 in 2001 and further to 42 in 2011 in Manipur. In percentage term the growth of number of town from 2001 to 2011 is 27.27% in Manipur, whereas at national level this growth has been 53.74% in the same period. At the Census 2011 there are 7,935 towns in the country as against 5161 towns in the previous census. (see Table 1).

This increase in no. of towns may be remarkable in percentage terms but in absolute terms it is pretty negligible compared to All India average and other states. Moreover, the total number of urban agglomerations and other cities and towns has increased sluggishly, at a rate much slower than the urban population in India (Kundu, 2011). This is outrightly true for Manipur where the share of rise in proportion of number of towns and urban population growth was 27.27% v/s. 24.14% in Manipur (see Table 1).

This could be the result of some kind of census activism working under pressure to report a higher pace of urbanization (Kundu, 2011). Share of state urban population in the country urban population increased marginally to 0.22% in 2011 from 0.20% in 2001 in Manipur. For all these reasons, it can be clearly claimed that Manipur has to go a long way to match with national figures on account of char

acteristics of urbanization whether it is growth in urban population or towns. However there has been a meager improvement in the percentage share of state urban population in the national urban population as it grows to 0.22% in 2011 from 0.20% in the last census periods in Manipur (see Table 3).

Table I 1: INDIA, MANIPUR : PERCENTAGE GROWTH RATES

Census Year    2001    2011    (Decadal Growth Rate Absolute Percentage)
Number of towns India    5161    7935    2774    53.74
Manipur    33    42    9    27.27
Total Population India    1028610328    1210193422    181583094    17.65
Manipur    2293896    2721756    427860    18.65
Urban Population India    286119689    377105760    90986071    31.80
Manipur    575968    822132    246164    47.24
% of Urban Population India    27.81    31.16    3.35    12.04
Manipur    25.10    31.16    6.06    24.14
% of Urban Population to India's Urban Population Manipur    0.20    0.22     .02    10.00
Rural Population India    742490639    833087662    90597023    12.20
Manipur    1590820    1899624    308804    19.41
% of Rural Population India    72.18    68.83    -3.35     -4.64
Manipur    69.35    69.79    0.44    0.63

Source: Census of India, Respective Years

Table 2

Urbanization in Manipur between 2001-2011
Compared to India and Some Important States (In Percentage)
Census yr    Manipur    India    Maharashtra    A.P    West Bengal    Gujarat    Tamil Nadu
2001    25.10    27.81    42.43    27.30    26.7    37.36    44.04
2011    31.16    31.16    45.23    33.49    31.89    42.58    48.45

Source: Census of India, Respective Years

DEMOGRAPHIC STATUS:

We may now look at the demographic scenario of Manipur. One of the important facets in the state is the highly lopsided geographical distribution of population with a substantial chunk of population concentrated in the valley of Imphal, approximately a tenth of the entire area of the State. Moreover, almost all urban centres are in the valley with the hilly area being rural in character. The population density of the states as a whole was 122 per sq km in 2011 in Manipur which is nearly one third of the All-India level.

But population density of the valley areas is over fifteen times the hilly areas. A similar differentiation exists in respect of the degree of urbanization with the valley at nearly seven times of that in the hilly portions. It may be noted that the rate of population growth has been substantially higher in Manipur than at the All-India level, more so in the 2000s than in the 1990s. Secondly, whereas at the All-India level the trend has been towards a declining population growth rate, in case of Manipur it has been the reverse (see Table 4).

EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURE OF THE ECONNOMY:

Sectoral structure of an economy can also be studied in terms of employment absorption. In case of employment, data is a problem for small states like Manipur and Census was the only source, which could be drawn upon. However 2011 Census based estimates of employment are not available. Moreover 1991 & 2001 Census workforce data are not fully comparable on account of definitional changes. Subject to these limitations, there is a discernible difference between the structure of the economy in manipur and All India.

The reliance of Manipur on the primary sector in terms of employment at 70% in 1991 was far higher than All India average of 64.50%. However, we saw a sharp decline in proportion of people dependent on agriculture activities in Manipur in 2001 where the proportion was 49.69% which was much lower than All India average of 64.41% in the same period. While the share of employment was much lesser in secondary sector at 9.66% in Manipur in 1991.

What is disconcerting, however, is the fact that in Manipur, the secondary sector percentage declined further to 6.54% in 2001, which is contrary to the All-India trend. However, this aberration could be a consequence of data shortcomings, since we had to rely on Census data where, on account of definitional modifications, comparability is a problem.

In case of the tertiary sector, Manipur's share in employment was 43.77% in 2001 reflecting a much higher level of productivity per worker in the tertiary sector than in the other two sectors. Nevertheless, the tertiary sector is underdeveloped with very little of trade or financial services. Even transport and communications is very small, which is again a consequence of very low level of infrastructure development. It indicates a need to bring about structural diversification of the economy and to develop segments other than agriculture and forestry.

To be continued..