The Philosophies Of Ethnic Divides In North East India
With Special Reference To Manipur - An Emerging Trend
- Part 2 -

Dr. Priyadarshni M. Gangte *

A seminar on economy and tribal land rights at Liangmai Baptist Church, Imphal in December 26 2012 :: Pix - TSE

3. Infrastructure: Infrastructure is one of the most vital links in the growth chain that encapsulates roads, transport, communication, power, marketing, banking, research and development, for sustainable society where every individual have to grow without discrimination and there is possibility of collective glory. With the rise of democracy the necessity of enlarging the scope for individual advancement is being increasingly appreciated.

Unfortunately, infrastructure has remained a highly deficit sector which has been considered a vital linkage to growth and development, of these backward, other backward Scheduled Tribes especially women due to lack of education on reproductive health, health and medical care, using and drinking water, electricity, food safety, sanitation, balanced diet, mass awareness and environmental and bio-diversity and its consequences keeps them captured to illiteracy and poverty. For that matter, economy is very important which can be earned due to control over economic access and power, it is examined through the distribution of economic power. 4. Land Holding System: As we have known about the system of landholding practiced among these scheduled tribe communities of commonly known as Naga and Kuki, and non-feudal and feudal. The Naga villages have community clan and individual land wherein the individual tillers of the land have right of possession of the land inhabited. Whereas the Kukis, "Haosa" the master-tenant is autocratic and hereditary. Secondly the Tribal Forest Act, 2006, though projected to reconcile the objectives of economic growth and environmental conservation is, obviously a threat in this era of neo-liberal globalization or LPG, to these tribes, especially women, and the poorest of the poor. Thus, its significant is to increase more marginalization and growing inequalities by developing a gap between the tribals and others is increasing day by day.

It is established fact that since the past the numerous tribal groups living in Manipur had been under the administration of their respective customary laws however, these often stand in the way of land reform. Of course, certain characteristics need to be restructured so as to the Kuki Chiefs be only titular. He should initiate towards brining education, healthcare, medicine, sanitation, electricity, food security, transport and communication and water (using as well as drinking) in his village as an imperative for becoming a welfare village. To take initiative for harmonizing, the customary laws will be crucial in establishing a modern and scientific and land tenure system, thereby making way for conservation and sustainable forest and environment.

Moreover, the absence of land registration or patta system in hill areas of Manipur has also adversely impacted people psyche without having any legal title or right to the land they are tilling or where they have been living for centuries or developing land. For instance, in Kuki society, the village Haosa (Chief) has often dislodged the defacto land owners from their settlement. As a result the individual does not have a right or title to land, whereby the financial institutions, Banks are not willing to provide credit to them because they cannot provide security.

And, for that matter, let's have our heads put together in considering the forthcoming of AHI and the already much spoken about Look East Policy – horrible picture of the State of Manipur in general and Moreh town in particular. No community, society, state and nation can achieve peace, stability and economic growth if at least half of the population is not empowered.

Thus, the institutions of Haosa (Chieftainship) should be retained instead of abolishing for it is pertinent to remember and know that since the inception of the Manipur Village Authority Act, 1956, tribals have been opposing to protect their cultural and traditional rights particularly the customary laws even till today can be noticed by their actions organized by the All tribal Chiefs Forum, Manipur (ATCF) and Committee on Protection of Tribal Areas, Manipur (COPTAM) are umbrella organizations. (I) Tribal meet decides to oppose VA election. (II) Tribal leaders to oppose VA Polls.

The customary practice of land holding system in the hills is also one of the important factors for its acute backwardness and also the cause of large scale migration of hill people to the urban areas. As already cited above, the land system does not allow ownership of land by the common villagers as the entire land belongs to the village chief or community as a whole. If a proper assessment of land ownership in the hill areas of Manipur is carried out, around 70 percent of the hill dwellers would actually turn out to be landless villagers.

Further, it will be relevant that the hill people who constitute around 41.1 Per Cent of the total population and sparsely occupying around 90 Per Cent of the total level surface surrounding the entire valley of the State are disgruntled lots. They may be possessive of their vast hilly terrains which are actually neither sustainable for basic livelihood nor sustainable for setting up industry.

The traditional methods of cultivation are also not very yielding owing to deforestation, environment degradation, unfavourable geographical location, etc. Instead of developing the hill areas, the politicians, government servants and slightly well-off hill people are human on moving to the urban areas thus leaving the poorer people in the hills behind.

5. Education: Education is the key to all-round developments has remained neglected for all the times. The provision of free and universal primary education to the children upto the age of 14 in the State is still a dream. Huge investments on education sector in order to facilitate for masses to get access to education with low cost and affordable is still an articulation of theory and paper work in the State. We all know that literacy has been identified as an important factor in individual emancipation. Indira Gandhi has emphatically maintained.

"Education is a liberating force, and in our age, it is also a democratizing force, cutting across the barriers of castes and class, smoothing inequalities imposed by birth and other circumstances".

Under Article 46 of the Constitution of Indian states "the State shall promote with special care the education and economic interest of the weaker sections of the people and in particular the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and to protect them from social injustices and all forms of social exploitation. It is further shown under Articles 330, 332, 335, 338 to 342 and the Fifth and the entire Sixth Schedules of the Constitution (as aspired by many) which deals with special provisions need to be fully utilized for the benefits of these weaker sections in our Manipuri contemporary society.

It is empirical fact that Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes constitute the most backward sections in Manipur; of course, they are also part of the statutory recognized weaker sections of the society and form a distinct target under the existing planning paradigm. In despite of both the central as well as State governments have taken up a number of initiative to remove the disparities so as to uplift these groups of people who are socio-economically backward, apart from unemployment politically.

It will be interesting to know what our constitutions Article 46 instructs. It embodies the concept of distributive justice, which connotes inter alia, the removal of economic inequalities and rectifying the injustice resulting from dealings or transactions between unequal and in society. In accomplishing justice as the first virtue of social institutions as truth is of system of thought.

A theory however, elegant and economical must be rejected or revised if it is untrue, likewise law and institutions, no matter how efficient and well arranged must be reformed or abolished if they are untrue. Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override. However, Singh, contended that justice is generally divided into legal and social justices, legal justice concerns the punishment of a public set rules, whereas, social justice require equitable and just distribution of the social goods and evils or burden and benefits. Likewise, Miller says:

"Social justice concerns the distribution of benefits and burden throughout a society, as it results from major social institutions, property system, public organization, etc."

Moreover, the Directive Principle of State Policy laid down by the Constitution of India, the onus of the socio-economic upliftment of the poor and the weaker sections of the society including tribals lies in the State; so, the State Government with Constitutional mandate is duty bound to, inter -alia, protect the interest of the tribals in the State.

However, it is found contrary to the same as some of the government acts/laws so enacted from time to time which intend to deal with various issues confronting the so called Scheduled Tribe communities has always lacked its credibility and sincerity in addressing the real issues. In this situation we found that not the greater number of Scheduled Tribes from the hills have no chance to get the opportunity to get access to the different schemes meant for upliftment and advancement due to lack of information, illiteracy and bad economic condition.

Thus, they do not reach the rural masses and remote – the socio-economically deprived ones in the hills. Here, the government in its manifestation requires an extensive prior consultation and deliberation with the concerned persons primarily to be affected and benefited with the measures so that the outcome be placed into acts/laws for enforcement before implementation into action.

However, one striking fact is that in the course of time and emerged situation, and the tribal middle class emerged consequently followed by elite groups have begun to constitute the top class and cream of the tribal population contended by Lal Dena. At the same time, a host of theology oriented church leaders and the nouveau riche from among the business communities and contractors formed themselves into a powerful group which cannot be easily reckoned with,(Ibid) resulting disparity between the elite and rural masses has also wider then before (Ibid).

To be continued...