Is the gender population balanced in Manipur?
- Part 2 -

By S Birendra Singh *

With respect to the gender imbalance of the general population discussed in the previous paras we will now examine the differences within some of the age groups of the population.

In 2001 census, among the different age groups, population falling under 15-19, 20-24 and 25-29 ages had sex ratios higher than 1000 meaning that more females were present in these groups than the males. Numerical difference was not large but the trend was significant.

In recent years there was an ever-increasing number of students going for higher and technical studies outside the state and the number of persons in employment and seeking jobs in other states had grown considerably.

Unnatural deaths of male teenagers and youths in these age groups were also higher than persons in the other age groups though the figures are yet to be quantified. In all other age groups the sex ratio was below parity. The lowest ratio (914) was found against 50-59 age group.

In the youngest age group of 0-9 years males outnumbered females by about 10 thousand persons, the sex ratio in this group being 958 (the difference was a little more than 5 thousand persons in 1991).

As the population in this age group were the survivors of those children born during 1991-2001 (the value of the net migrants during the decade in this age group considered as small) and as there was nothing to suggest a higher mortality rate for girls during this period we are led to an assumption that the number of male children born were more than the number of female children at the time of birth.

If this was by the choice of the parents the state's population will become lopsided in the years to follow. However, in Manipur the registration data giving sex-wise information on births are incomplete and very inadequate to throw sufficient light on this topic.

Nonetheless preference for male children in this state is an accepted fact and in spite of the increase in the knowledge and practice of the birth control measures in recent years in limiting the size of the family the satisfaction of having at least a male progeny to support the family in old ages is very great as usual.

Thus those couples having no male offspring generally differ the option of total birth control to a later date. The addition of a male child is not considered a burden to the family even if they already had three or four female children.

Therefore to remove this bias the Government of India has taken up in recent years strong propaganda measures throughout the country to motivate eligible couples not to differentiate preference of male children over the females.

The ratio of female population among the migrants is usually low on account of the numerical strength of the male population. After settlement the proportion somewhat tend to stabilize. In Indian census statistics based on the place of birth of the person enumerated in a state give an insight of the migration volume of that state.

In Manipur 2.1 percent of the total population in 1961, i.e. 16,573 persons, were those born outside the state of which those born abroad India, i.e. foreigners accounted for 48.5 percent. During 1961-71 the total immigrant population increased by 95 percent to 32,317 persons, foreigners comprising about 39 percent. And the proportion of these immigrants to the total population increased to 3 percent.

During 1971-1981 there was an agitation particularly by student organizations highlighting this issue which caused a number of foreigners and persons from other states to leave Manipur.

In 1981 the number of immigrants enumerated considerably dropped to 20,188 persons (2.4 percent of the total population), the composition of the foreigners being 20.5 percent of the total immigrants.

In the following decades the ratio of the immigrant population to the total population further reduced to 1.1 percent in 1991 and 1.0 percent in 2001. These figures are specific to the particular census and should not be added to determine the number of the total migrants coming so far into this state.

The original population coming into the state was constantly subjected to mortality factors and their progenies born in this state were no longer termed as migrants. The number of immigrants arriving into the state during a decade can be found out from the census figures by referring to their duration of stay at the place of enumeration.

In 1961 the immigrant population mentioned above had a sex ratio of 748 females in 1000 males which was very much below the total state figure of 1015 females of that census. The ratio in 1971 was the lowest at 575 against 714 and 616 in 1981 and 1991 respectively.

Clearly this excess of the male population among the immigrants had an effect on the overall sex ratio figures of the state. If we remove the immigrant population from the total population corresponding to each decade we find that the sex ratios improved for all the decades in the adjusted population.

It has been stated earlier that a number of teenagers and youths moved outside the state for studies and for employment during the decade 1991-2001 as facilities for higher and technical education and better employment opportunities were limited in this state. A number of families also migrated to the neighbouring states for settlement out of conflict between different ethnic population groups.

From the place of birth statistics it was found that a total of 54,036 persons (28,058 males and 25,978 females) born in Manipur were found enumerated in 2001 census in other states, mainly in Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam, Delhi, Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh.

The former three states together accounted for as much as 46.8 percent of the total persons born in this state but enumerated outside.

The sex ratio among this out-migrated population turned out to be 926. It is interesting to note that in 2001 the out-migrants exceeded that of the in-migrants by a total of 33,359 persons.

Gender imbalance is undesirable demographically as well as from the social and economic point of view. It will also affect the marriage prospects of the eligible persons and may also disturb the marital status of the future population.

This drain on the population in the younger and middle age groups that had a large bearing on the state's economy as well is likely to continue in future.

Concluded...

Read Part 1 | Part 2.