Stop Self-inflicting 'Tribalism' & Irresponsible Politics :: Part 2
- Reorganise and Create More Districts on Modern Administrative Principles -

Dr N Somorendro Singh *

A map showing the boundary of Sadar Hills :: Picture Credit - TSE

From the criteria of population, districts in India have wide variation with no standard criteria. It is a strange in a country which otherwise attempts all the time uniformity in Government policies through Central intervention. As per 2001 census the populations of some large districts are Khagaria 1.28 crore (Bihar), South 24 Parganas 89.30 lakh (West Bengal), Mumbai (suburbs) 86.40 lakh, Pune 72.32 lakh, Bangaluru 65.37 lakh, Ahmedabad 58.16 lakh, Allahabad 49.36 lakh etc.

In North Eastern States the highest populated district is Kamrup (Assam) with 25.15 lakhs while Mizoram has district with less than 60,000. Sikkim has district with less then even 35,000 population. In Manipur Imphal West has the highest population with 4.44 lakh and Tamenglong the lowest with 1.11 lakh. Senapati district where Sadar Hills is located has 2.83 lakhs.

Ukhrul has 1.40 lakh and Imphal East in which Jiribam is included has 3.94 lakh. In terms of population the demands for new districts Sadar Hills (over one lakh), Jiribam (37,828) and Phungyar are reasonable. However what is disturbing is the method adopted to achieve the 'justified demands' including questionable use of women in the forefront.

Average population per district of some States are Andhra Pradesh (36 1akhs), Maharashtra (35 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (23 lakh) and Bihar (21 lakh). Hilly States have lower average like Himachal Pradesh (5 lakh) and Jammu and Kashmir (4.5 lakh). In North East India the ranking as per average population per districts are Assam (11.00 lakh), Tripura (7.99 1akh), Meghalaya (3.3l lakh), Manipur (2.54 lakh), Nagaland (1.80 lakh), Sikkim (1.35 lakh), Mizoram (1.11 Iakh) and Arunachal Pradesh (Eighty four thousands only).

Thus hilly States have lower average and more districts on the basis of population. There can be more districts and reorganisation of districts in Manipur and why not? If three more districts are created the average population per district in Manipur is 1.91 1akh, still in 4th position in North East India. However it should not be on the existing arrangement and not on the basis of a tribe or community consideration.

There is need for evolving innovative ideas and new ways of removing first the distrust and sources of conflicts among those who are demanding and opposing new districts specially Kukis and Nagas. Persons, civil society groups and leaders specially belonging to Kukis and Nagas must work out the modalities in this direction. Because Government has its own logic of working or delaying things.

Time has come to realise self-inflicting thoughts and need to discard the uncompromising stands. The proverb of 'Sanongba higaiwa' may be useful (The story goes like this: once a king used his brother Sanongba's boat in boating competition and the boat was broken. The king's offer was a new boat or repaired boat. But Sanongba refused to accept either new boat or repaired old boat. He insisted his boat only in the original unbroken form: no compromises and not ready to see reason and accept the new reality.

Thus Sanongba was insisting on the old thing and impossible one: meaning to fight like a fool for a lost cause that too with his own brother. The moral of the story is that we need to accept the new realities and adjust our stands for own sake. In other words need to see reason and lana mukpa aduga apang thouna phudokpagi heinabi thadokpa matam oire (time to stop living on false pride and acting like a courageous fool).

Common good and complimentary thoughts and acts based on the basic human needs and mutual benefits and sharing of resources must form the foundation of new relationship and society. Sounds too modern or idealistic? Well Manipur is facing a lot of common stress and challenges today largely due to inability to understand common values and modern methods of resolving differences.

Inability to give up traditional attitudes including elements of 'tribalism' and respect for the rights and needs of the others is blocking towards path of progress. It is absolutely essential to get out of intoxication due to habitual cocktails of tribalism, communalism, sectarianism and power politics of uncompromising stands. What is the harm to think and act like modern humans who value themselves and also care for others?

Based on the above thoughts there is a need to introspect and question one's political beliefs, demands and attitudes towards others first. Then re-formulate political goals based on shared composite history, common interests and vision. This is because people in Manipur have been living together for centuries and very nature of modern living is an interdependent world.

So the fundamental question is, is there any value or necessity of thinking and demanding political 'rights' based exclusively on one's rights and self-constructed justice at the cost or mistrust of others? This is crucial and urgent to change or end the present madness and hardships in Manipur and to prevent such senseless claims and counter-claims following demands for new districts like Phungyar, Sadar Hills and Jiribam. So why obstruction in the creation of three or more districts in Manipur on modern administrative principles?

From the Government's side there is a need to constitute a new Commission to suggest re-organisation of districts in most effective and acceptable ways with an eminent expert as the Chairperson. The other members may include knowledgeable and respected persons who have rendered distinguishable service in the field of administration, politics, economics, sociology, anthropology etc. The idea is to have a whole range of views, follow democratic process as well as effective and acceptable recommendations.

A serving bureaucrat must be the member secretary. All the relevant data, information and wide range of opinion may be collected. Some of the criteria and principles which may be followed are
(1) principle of administrative convenience, efficiency and easier access by the people
(2) geographical proximity or contiguity
(3) participation by the people and people friendly district administration
(4) principle of equality of human beings
(5) viability on economic sense, revenue generating capacity and resource sharing
(6) principle of secular and composite culture
(6) any other criteria or principle may be added or considered for welfare, safety and progress of every section and region of Manipur.

British introduced administration on the basis of divides on communal, tribe, valley or hills must do away with. British left Manipur in 1947 but their true followers still exist and want to enforce discrimination, divides and hardship on the people even on administrative principle and arrangement. It is a puzzle that despite modern education, wisdom and history of composite culture there are groups which pursue politics based on primitive notions and self-inflicting ideologies.

There is no sense but only hardship for the people of Jiribam with distance of over 200 km to be a part of Imphal East. Similarly people around or within the boundary of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur which are within 4 to 10 km have to go all the way to Senapati district headquarter (over 70 km) or proposed Sadar Hills district headquarter (over 50 km) for any and every administrative thing. Who is facing the music of hardship or inconvenience due to long distance of over 200 km, 70 km or 50 km due to British policy or in the name of same community or tribe identity?

The principle followed in the arrangement of assembly constituencies in Manipur which do not follow community or tribe identity may be considered in the reorganisation and creation of new districts. The opinion of the concerned villages and areas must be taken into account in the proposed reorganisation and creation of new districts. It should not be based merely on the views of the self-proclaimed champions of tribe or community who has their own agenda.

The modern administrative principles, geographical proximity, consideration of economic and resources generation and sharing as well as democratic methods and process must be the guiding principles. Failure to do so will result madness and repeating of present situation in future and will allow intoxication due to cocktail of tribalism, communalism and power politics to continue.

- concluded